


Never Ever Saw it Coming at All

by sohapppily



Category: It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia
Genre: Dennis confronts his mental illness, F/M, M/M, Mac has a very active imagination, Mandy is an actual angel sent from North Dakota, gratuitous Chardee MacDennis scenes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-29
Updated: 2017-05-31
Packaged: 2018-10-25 05:52:14
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 22,428
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10758048
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sohapppily/pseuds/sohapppily
Summary: It’s been a year and Dennis Reynolds is finally returning to Philadelphia. Mac’s expectations for their reunion don’t quite live up to the reality of seeing him again.[Format based on the Expectations/Reality scene from (500) Days of Summer, in that both perspectives are written side by side.]





	1. Prologue – Soon

**Author's Note:**

> My first ever Sunny fic, despite watching the show for a literal decade. Also the first thing I’ve written in years. It was originally supposed to be a short blurb and then the literary floodgates opened and here we are.
> 
> If you’ve never seen (500) Days of Summer, I recommend watching [the Expectations/Reality scene](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yj_48w1pfIk) to get a feel for how this fic is laid out. To clarify, Mac’s expectations are entirely in his head. As reality plays out, he’s comparing the two.
> 
> Title from “Hero” by Regina Spektor.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "See you bitches soon!"

"Heyooo! I got news!" Dee yelled, bursting through the front door of the bar.

"I could totally fight the Jersey Devil, bro!" Mac yelled at Charlie, sitting on a barstool, drinking a beer despite the fact that it was 1:32PM on a Wednesday.

"No you could not fight the Jersey Devil!" Charlie yelled from behind the bar, slamming his own beer down. "He's a demon!"

"Hello?" Dee said, walking toward them. "I have _huge_ news!"

"Exactly! He's a demon and I, a devout Catholic my entire life and owner of this sweet ass gold cross necklace, have the Lord on my side!"

Mac made a show of looking to the sky, crossing himself and kissing the crucifix hanging around his neck. Charlie rolled his eyes.

"The Jersey Devil does not give a shit about God or that fake gold chain, dude."

"Yes he _does_ , Charlie" Mac insisted. "All I would have to do is swim the Delaware-"

"Your ass could not swim the Delaware River," Frank said from the other side of the bar, half chewed peanuts flying out of his mouth.

"You guys!" Dee insisted, to no avail. "It's _really_ huge news. You're gonna freak!"

"I absolutely could swim the Delaware," Mac said, leveling a glare at Frank, his tone much too serious for their absurd conversation. "Then I would be in Camden and I would take that satanic Jersey bitch the fuck down with a sweet ass roundhouse to his goddamn demon dick!"

"Dennis is coming back!" Dee yelled.

Everyone froze and a rare silence fell over Paddy's Pub.

"Dennis is coming back?" Charlie asked. "For real?"

"Yup!" Dee said, happy to finally have their attention. "He texted me this like a half hour ago."

She held out her phone, showing Mac and Charlie a photo of the departures board at Bismarck Municipal Airport, Dennis's finger pointing at a flight to Philadelphia and a text reading, "See you bitches soon!"

"Dennis is coming back," Mac repeated quietly, smiling unabashedly down at the bar.

 

* * *

 

Dennis sat in his seat on the cramped plane on a runway in North Dakota, staring at his text conversation with Mac. The last messages were from a little over a month ago, sent at 4:12AM on a Saturday. Clearly drunk texts.

> _Hi_
> 
> _Are you askeep_
> 
> _I miss yuo alot_
> 
> _The apt is so empty wihout us_
> 
> _Its just me here alone in your bed_
> 
> _My bed_
> 
> _The bed_
> 
> _I cant beleiev it's been a year_
> 
> _Come gone dennis_
> 
> _*Hoem_
> 
> _*****Home_

Almost an hour break between messages, and then,

> _Please_

He was almost sure Mac didn't remember sending them, otherwise he would have followed up the next morning claiming they were a joke or someone had taken his phone. It wouldn't be the first time. Dennis wanted to text Mac that he was coming back – coming home – even though he knew Dee's big fucking mouth had already told the guys. Despite himself, he did miss the clingy bastard. But he wanted to spare Mac the embarrassment of facing his drunken confession.

Then it was time to turn off their electronics and he complied, sliding his phone into his pocket. He'd talk to Mac when he got to Philly. Dennis smiled at the pretty woman sitting next to him and she smiled back as the plane began to take off. Only five more hours.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A fun fact: those typos Mac makes were actual typos I made since I started writing this on my phone while I was wine mom drunk on white zin and vodka because I am a goddamn adult.


	2. Homecoming

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "After one year, three months and five days, the Golden God is back in town."

**_EXPECTATIONS_ **

_Mac shuffled around the Wawa down the street from their – his – apartment, grabbing a twelve pack of PBR and a family sized bag of Doritos, both of which he intended on finishing before he fell asleep that night. He glanced at the clock behind the register while he waited in line. 3:12AM._ _Dennis had never shown up at the bar. When Dee called him to ask where he was, all he said was, "Something came up," before ending the call. That fucking asshole. It was probably all just a lie. He was probably laughing to himself, picturing them all waiting to see him. Even from 1500 miles away, Dennis Reynolds was still a dick._

 _Mac paid for his shit and bought a carton of cigarettes to bring to his mom, plus a pack for himself, then made his way home. When he pushed open his door, the first thing he noticed was that a light was on. Which was weird, since he was careful about leaving things on now that he was paying rent and utilities on his own. Sure, he could have found a more affordable place, but he couldn't part with it. Not so soon after he'd restored it to its former glory._ _Mac slowly entered the apartment, holding his plastic bag in front of him as if it was a weapon._

_"Hi."_

_Mac nearly dropped it. "Dennis?"_

_"Mac."_

_He was stunned. "How long have you been here?"_

_Dennis shrugged, then stood up from the couch and walked over to Mac, nonchalantly taking the bag out of his hand and placing it on the kitchen table. Mac tried to ignore the spark he felt when their fingers brushed._

_"A while."_

_"Why didn't you call Dee? Or just come to Paddy's?"_

_Another shrug as he stepped in closer. "I wanted to see you before I saw anyone else."_

_"Why?" Mac asked quietly, his heart quickening as Dennis moved into his space, their noses almost brushing. This closeness was so familiar, Mac felt an old warmth wash over him._

_Dennis whispered, inaudible to anyone but them, "Because I missed you, Mac."_

 

* * *

 

**REALITY**

"The Jersey Devil isn't real, Mac," Dee said, beyond exasperated. "It's an urban legend perpetuated by whackjobs so more whackjobs go to that bullshit state to try and find it."

"He is real, bitch, and I could absolutely kick his ass, especially if I had Rocky Balboa on my side!"

"Rocky Balboa isn't real either!" Dee yelled. "Also, Sly is in his 70s and would be of no use to you while fighting an imaginary creature."

"Will you _please_ shut the fuck up?" Frank said, looking up from the newspaper he'd somehow been reading for hours and down at his watch. "It's... 8:12PM. Youse been arguin' about this goddamn bullshit for seven hours!"

"It's not bullshit!" Mac yelled. "My uncle's–"

"Friend's son's ex-girlfriend saw the Jersey Devil on a camping trip in 1994," Dee and Charlie finished in unison, Dee adding, "We fucking _know_ , Mac."

Before Mac could retort, the door opened.

"After one year, three months and five days," boomed an all too familiar disembodied voice from outside. Then, Dennis swept in, pageant smile on his face, arms extended wide as if displaying himself on an infomercial, and finished, “the Golden God is back in town."

"Dennis!" Dee squealed, sounding all of five years old.

She dropped the ashtray she was cleaning onto the bar and ran over to her twin, practically jumping into his arms. Dennis laughed and wrapped her in an embrace just as tight, and Mac had never seen him smile so big.

"Hey, Deandra," he said, his words muffled by her shoulder. Eventually they pulled back, but Dennis kept his hands on her shoulders, looking her up and down. "You look good, Dee. I like the haircut even more in person."

"Really?" Dee said, self-consciously running her fingers through her newly shorter locks. "You're not gonna call me a bird or tell me I look blotchy?"

Dennis snorted. “Well, of course you're still a blotchy mess of a bird, Dee. But I've always said you'd look good with hair just above your shoulders, so I'm glad to see you've finally listened. And, y'know. I missed you. So I can be nice for a second."

Dee whistled. "Fatherhood has really done a number on you, huh?"

"Shut up, bitch," Dennis said, dropping his hands and brushing past her, but not before catching her smile at the familiar insult.

"Charlie!" Dennis said, walking over to the other man and giving him a well practiced one armed hug. "How you been, man? Bashin' rats?"

"Been hella good," Charlie said, adopting the absurd accent he'd used during their Grieco scheme. "Bashin' hella rats."

"Oh, Christ," Dennis said, looking back at Dee. "Is he doing this again?"

"I'm just bein' hella cool," Charlie said.

"Don't do this, Charlie," Dennis said. "It's not cool. I sure as shit didn't fly on a goddamn plane all day to hear you tell me you're 'hella cool.'"

Charlie nodded, both of them smiling at each other. There was nothing like immediate exasperation to make Dennis feel right at home.

"Frank," Dennis said, nodding at the older man.

"Yo," Frank replied, waving one hand then going back to his newspaper.

And that left...

"Hey, Mac."

Mac hadn't moved an inch since Dennis walked in. He'd barely even breathed. "Hey, Dennis."

Dennis sat down next to him and clapped him on the back, then let his hand stay there. "How's it going?"

"Good," Mac said simply.

"That's... good."

Mac didn't know why it was so awkward. All he'd wanted since Dennis walked out that door was to see him again, but now that he was here, it felt... off. Why hadn't Dennis said hello to him first? Why had Dee and Charlie gotten hugs, and all he got was a pat on the back? How come Dennis knew Dee got a stupid haircut but he hadn't talked to Mac in months?

They were all quiet for a moment as Dennis slowly moved his hand from Mac’s back to his own lap.

"So, what's a guy gotta do to get a goddamn beer in this shithole?"

 

* * *

 

" _You missed me?" Mac breathed._

_Dennis brought a hand up to Mac's cheek, softly running his thumb across Mac's lips. "So much."_

_"Yeah?"_

_"Yeah. I thought about you all the time, Mac. Every goddamn second. I didn't realize how much I needed you with me until you weren't there."_

_Mac couldn't help but break into a smile. "I start talking to you and then realize you aren't there all the time."_

_"I do the same thing."_

_Dennis dropped his hand from Mac's cheek and gently wrapped it around Mac's hand. He led them slowly to the couch, Mac practically floating behind him._

_"Look," Dennis said, turning to face Mac and keeping their fingers laced together. "To be honest, you're a big part of why I left."_

_"Dennis, I–"_

_"Shh," Dennis breathed, once again pressing a finger to Mac's lips. "Let me finish, please."_

_Mac mimed locking his lips and tossed the key over his shoulder._

_"As I was saying, you're part of why I left, Mac. I was scared. Scared of how you made me feel, scared of what that meant for us. For so long, it was safe for me to screw with you a little, because I knew you'd never act on the... feelings you clearly had for me. And I'm sorry for that. But then... you did, Mac. You came out. You wanted to share a bed. You pretended we were a couple. And it scared me."_

_"So," Mac said, looking down at their entwined hands. "You're uncomfortable with me being gay?"_

_Dennis sighed. "No, moron. I'm uncomfortable with me being..."_

_In his mind, Mac heard a bell toll. "Wait. Are_ you _gay, Dennis?"_

_"What? No," Dennis said immediately. "I mean, y'know. I can go both ways. Mostly chicks. There've been dudes. But whatever, I resolved that with myself a long time ago."_

_“Well, it's news to me," Mac mumbled, trying very hard not to focus on the thought of Dennis fucking some guy who wasn't him._

_"What made me uncomfortable," Dennis continued before Mac could broach the subject any further. "Was how badly I wanted to be your... partner. For real. All night, lying next to that godforsaken dildo bike–"_

_"Exercise machine."_

_"–the only thing I could think about was you. Sleeping on the couch with you. Living in this apartment with you. Sharing a bed with you. Raising Brian with you. Just... being with you. All the time. And that scared me so much. I'd never wanted that with anyone before, not even with Maureen. So I ran, because it was easier than admitting I had feelings."_

_"It doesn't have to be scary, Den," Mac said._

_Dennis smiled. "It's not anymore."_

 

* * *

 

“OKAY!" Charlie yelled, drawing out the last syllable, shutting everyone up. "Have we reached a conclusion?"

Everyone nodded in agreement.

"Good," Charlie said. "Dennis?"

"Alright," Dennis said from behind the bar, addressing the group sitting in front of him. "Mac."

"Yo."

"Assuming the Jersey Devil is real."

"He _is_ real."

“He is _not real_ you delusional son of a bitch."

"Dee!" Dennis said, sticking a finger in her face and trying to suppress a smile. "You shut your beak before I vault over this bar and shove my heel down your throat. You too, Mac."

They both nodded but shot each other harsh looks.

"Assuming the Jersey Devil is real," Dennis started again. "And Mac here was at a full pump, with the help of Dolph Lundgren, the real man, Rocky Balboa, the fictional character, and a large wooden crucifix, Mac could capture the Jersey Devil and beat it at least into submission but possibly to death, depending on its actual size and strength, seeing as only rumored figures exist for such stats. But, they would have to take the RiverLink or drive to Jersey rather than swimming the Delaware. Do we all agree?"

"Aye!" Mac said immediately, smiling widely at his imaginary conquest.

"Aye," Dee mumbled, rolling her eyes.

"Aye," Charlie and Frank said in unison, then pointed at each other.

"Aye," Dennis finished. "Then it's settled. Mac vs. the Jersey Devil is officially laid to rest at 12:35AM on Thursday."

He hit the bar with his fist, imitating a gavel, and the rest of the gang cheered.

"When did you guys start discussing this?" Dennis asked, taking a sip of the water he'd switched to after one beer.

"Uh," Charlie said, trying and failing to count backwards in his head. "Around 1PM."

"So that puts our conflict resolution time at about 11 and a half hours."

"Not bad," said Charlie.

"There were a surprising amount of subject changes during the day," Dee said. "And we lost at least an hour and a half when you showed up."

"Are you really gonna argue about how long it took to settle an argument?" Frank said incredulously.

“We want our conflict resolution records to be accurate!” Dennis insisted.

"I'm too tired for this fuckin' shit," Frank mumbled, sliding off his barstool. "Charlie, ride's leavin'. Dennis, good to see ya."

"You too, Frank."

Charlie reached over the bar to pat Dennis on the shoulder. "I'm glad you're back, buddy."

Dennis smiled. "Me too, pal. See ya tomorrow."

"See ya," Charlie said, waving at everyone before following Frank out the door.

Dee yawned, putting her head down on the bar next to her beer as she did, which only caused Mac and Dennis to yawn as well. She laughed once they'd all returned to normal.

"We're getting too old for twelve hour debates," she said.

Dennis laughed once. "Please. This is nothing compared to having a kid, Dee."

Mac bit down on his tongue, trying to keep a straight face.

"Ah, yes. How is the little munchkin?" Dee asked.

"Really good," Dennis said. "He's so cool to just hang out with. Like, he's this little person that I made who does things and says stuff. It's awesome."

"Dennis Reynolds," Dee said, raising her empty glass. "Father of the year."

"Hardly," Dennis said. "Mandy's the one who does most of the real work. I'd probably have accidentally killed the kid by now if it was just me."

"And how is Mandy?" Dee asked.

Mac started to see red.

"Sweet as ever," Dennis replied, smiling again, much too widely for Mac’s liking.

"Well," Dee said, stifling another yawn. "I'm gonna get home too. We'll see you tomorrow, Den?"

"Yeah, sis," he said, walking around the bar to give her another hug.

"I can't wait to see them," Dee said to Dennis quietly, and Mac looked over at the twins, eyebrows raised.

"Shh," Dennis breathed, then pecked her on the cheek. “Night, Dee."

"Night!"

Then it was just the two of them.

 

* * *

 

_Dennis slowly leaned forward and pressed their lips together._

_Mac had heard the first kiss clichés before. Fireworks. Magic. Music. Floating. Butterflies. Time stopping. Hearts pounding. Knees going weak. He'd always thought they were bullshit. Until now. Now, he thought they weren't even coming close to describing what it felt like to finally be kissing Dennis Reynolds._

_Mac brought one hand up to the back of Dennis’s head, half afraid that Dennis was going to pull away at any moment and erupt into peals of cruel laughter. Instead, Dennis shifted his body on top of Mac’s, lowering them down against the armrest of their couch. Mac wrapped an arm around Dennis’s waist, pulling him closer and causing Dennis's hips to roll down against his own. Mac gasped, then felt Dennis smile into their kiss._

_Suddenly, Dennis pulled back. Mac stared at him, breathing hard, eyes wide, terrified that his wildest dream was about to fall apart._

_Dennis leaned back down, his lips ghosting over Mac’s, and said, "Let's go to our room."_

 

* * *

 

"Where are your bags, dude?" Mac asked, realizing for the first time that Dennis hadn't had anything with him when he came into the bar.

Dennis looked up from locking the register. "Huh?"

"Your bags. You didn't fly here without bags did you?"

"Of course not, dipshit," Dennis said. "My bags are at my hotel."

 

* * *

 

_Mac stumbled backward through their bedroom door, Dennis's hands holding firm on his hips as he guided them. Mac looked around while Dennis busied himself with undoing Mac's belt._

_Dennis's clothes hung in the closet, door still ajar. His makeup was in front of the mirror mounted above their dresser. His phone charger was plugged into an outlet near the far side of the bed and the glasses he refused to admit to needing to wear sat on the nightstand above it._

_He'd moved back in._

 

* * *

 

"Why the fuck are you staying at a hotel?" Mac asked as he turned off the neon signs at the front of the bar. "Just stay at our place!"

"Stay at your place?" Dennis said, and Mac didn't miss the pronoun change. "And sleep next to the dick bike again?"

"You could sleep on the couch," Mac said, not bothering to defend his awesome workout machine.

"Thanks, but no thanks. Hotel's good."

 

* * *

 

_It didn't take long before they were both half naked and on the bed, Dennis on top of Mac, knees bracketing the other man's hips. Mac couldn't believe this was really happening, reveling in the feel of Dennis's lips against his own and his hands running across Dennis's smooth back._

_Dennis broke away from Mac's mouth, kissing down his neck and stopping to bite at clavicle. Mac sighed and ran his hand gently through Dennis's hair._

_"I've wanted this forever," Mac breathed, without a hint of apprehension._

_"I know, baby," Dennis answered, looking up at Mac through his mascara tinted lashes. "I have too."_

_Mac smiled, and Dennis began to move down Mac's chest, leaving a trail of kisses and bites as he went._

_"Wait, Den," Mac said, trying to move back before realizing Dennis had him pinned._

_Dennis, as expected, pretend not to notice._

_"Dennis, c'mon, stop," Mac insisted, grabbing at the other man's hair._

_"No," Dennis mumbled, his voice low._

_"Seriously, Den, just for a sec."_

_Dennis sighed and straightened himself up, resting back on Mac's thighs. "What could possibly be so important that we have to discuss it right this second?"_

_"Um," Mac started, suddenly wishing he'd just let Dennis continue what he was doing. "What's, uh. What's going on with you and Mandy? And the kid?"_

_Dennis laughed once. "Are you fucking kidding me, Mac? Now is when you want to bring this up?"_

_Mac propped himself up on his elbows. "Well, if we're gonna..."_

_"If I'm gonna suck your dick and then let you fuck me," Dennis said with a smirk that only grew wider as Mac blushed bright red._

_"If you're gonna… do that," Mac continued. "I want to know where I stand. Like, is she gone? Is she coming here? Are you going back there? Are you cheating on her right now?"_

_Dennis rolled his eyes in an exasperated way that reminded Mac of Barbara, which was kind of hot if he didn't think about it too much. "Do we really have to get into this now?"_

_"Please, Dennis. I'll just be distracted otherwise."_

_"Fine," Dennis sighed, rolling off of him. "It was awful, man. I was the worst dad. Every day was just one fuck up after the other. I'm amazed I didn't kill the kid. And then Mandy's asshole of a mother found out I'd been lying about my name and pretty much everything else and she was furious, telling Mandy about how I'm not a good person and I'm not trustworthy enough to raise a child, saying it wasn't too late to change Junior's name. And Mandy, the bitch, actually had the audacity to agree with her. So it's done. I'm out of the picture. Brian will probably turn out just as fucked up as I am. If that's even the kid's name anymore."_

_Mac frowned. "I'm sorry, Dennis."_

_Dennis shrugged. "At least I'm home now."_

_"Yeah. You're home."_

_"Now," Dennis said, crawling back on top of him. "Where were we?"_

 

* * *

 

"Are you looking for a new apartment, then?" Mac asked. "Because you could just stay with me until you find one instead of paying for a hotel. Or we could find a new place together!"

"A new... what? Mac, we're only here for a few days."

We?

Oh. _Oh._

“Mandy and I somehow managed to get a little time off on the same days, but we both have to be back at work on Monday."

"Mandy is with you?"

“And Brian, yeah," Dennis said. "Did you think I just ditched them?"

_Yes._

"No? I don't know. I kind of forgot about them."

"You forgot about my son? Nice."

"That's not what I meant, Dennis," Mac said. The last thing he wanted right now was a fight. "I just meant... Why didn't they come to the bar?"

“Brian was exhausted," Dennis said. "It was past his bedtime when we got settled. And Mandy figured I'd want some time to catch up with you guys before I had to reintroduce her to everyone for real."

Mac nodded as he and Dennis left the bar, then turned to lock up.

"Does she still think Dee is named Prudence?"

"Oh, no, her and Dee are like, weirdly close," Dennis said. "They're friends on Facebook and I think they text each other. Mandy is the one who told me Dee got a haircut."

"Weird," Mac agreed. "Do you guys live together?"

It felt strange, asking these questions. Mac used to know what Dennis was doing at any given second, and now he didn't even know where the man lived.

Dennis nodded, face in his phone as he ordered an Uber. "I had an apartment for a little bit but we decided to move in together pretty quickly to make things easier for Bri."

"Oh," Mac said, looking down at his feet.

"It was weird at first, but now it's really nice. I like having people to come home to."

Before Mac could make a comment about how Dennis had come home to him for twenty goddamn years and never once said it was nice, a car pulled up to the curb.

"Get in," Dennis said, holding open the door. "Your place is on the way, I'll have him drop you off. My treat."

Mac nodded and got in the car.

They were silent for most of the ride, Dennis looking out the window, seemingly enjoying being back in his hometown. Mac tried to ignore the fact that the Uber driver was taking a different route than he and Dennis used to take between the bar and the apartment. The car pulled up to the curb and it was Mac’s cue to leave.

“Wait,” Dennis said, just as Mac reached for the handle.

Mac froze.

“It’s… It’s good to see you, Mac. Really.”

“You too, Den.”

“It’s weird not having you around all the time. I've actually missed you. Mandy is not a fan of Predator.”

Mac smiled, but it didn't quite reach his eyes. “I missed you, too.”

"Alright, well,” Dennis started after a few moments. “See you tomorrow?”

“See ya,” Mac said, getting out of the car before Dennis could see the tears welling in his eyes.

 

* * *

 

_Mac sighed, more blissed than he'd ever been. He sent a silent thank you to God and snuggled closer into Dennis's chest. Dennis wrapped his arms around Mac and laid a cheek against his hair._

_"I'm so happy you’re back," Mac said quietly, pressing a kiss to Dennis's chest. "I missed you so much."_

_"I missed you too." Dennis said. "And I'm happy you apparently spent the last year learning your way around a blowjob."_

_Mac laughed. "Practice makes perfect?"_

_"Perfect," Dennis repeated._

_They both smiled and closed their eyes, their breathing in sync. Right now, nothing outside of their bed mattered to either of them._

 

* * *

 

Mac slammed the door to _his_ apartment, all the rage he'd been stuffing down since Dennis dared to mention that man stealing North Dakota Applebee's slut starting to bubble over.

"Nice to have someone to come home to?!" Mac yelled at the walls around him. "He had _me_ to come home to! Me! But all the sudden it's 'nice' to have someone else?"

He went to the fridge and pulled out two beers, chugged one of them, spiked the can on the ground and cracked open the other.

"What does that bitch even know about him? They've known each other for a fucking year! I've known Dennis his whole goddamn life. I know everything he needs, everything he wants, before _he_ even does!"

He paced back and forth, screaming his barely coherent feelings at no one, ignoring the pounding on his ceiling and the _SHUT THE FUCK UP_ from below. Eventually, he tired himself out and plopped down on the couch.

It was 4:38AM. There were 11 crushed beer cans, an empty pack of cigarettes circled with charred butts and a half eaten carton of Chinese leftovers that hadn’t tasted right on his coffee table. He sighed, out of things to say, and dragged himself to his bedroom.

Then he stopped short. Dennis's bedroom. For the first time in more than a year of sleeping there every night, he'd thought of Dennis's room, Dennis's old room, as his own. He didn't know if that was good or bad, but either way, it was progress.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mandy, my sweet, beautiful North Dakotan angel, does not deserve the way Mac talks about her so I would like to apologize to her, wherever she is.
> 
> Also, if you don't know about [the Jersey Devil](http://weirdnj.com/stories/jersey-devil/), he's awesome, has been to Philadelphia and could absolutely kick Mac’s or anyone’s ass without breaking a sweat.


	3. Changes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “You seem different, Den. Like, really different."

_Sunlight streamed through the window above their bed, eventually waking Mac up. He blinked once, twice, then made eye contact with the man lying beside him._

_“Morning,” Dennis said._

_Mac always loved Dennis in the morning. His guard was down, his voice hadn’t yet taken on its usual edge. He wasn’t wearing makeup and his hair wasn’t coiffed. He’d genuinely smile at Mac and laugh at his dumb jokes, like the mean part of his brain hadn’t been turned on yet. There was a softness to him in the morning that the rest of the gang rarely got to see. It made Mac feel special, like this Dennis was saved just for him. The fact that Dennis was usually only wearing boxers was a plus, too._

_“Morning,” Mac said, then leaned in for a kiss._

_This was his favorite morning._

 

* * *

 

Mac woke up suddenly with a lurch of his stomach. He sprang out of bed and stumbled to the bathroom, just barely making it before last night’s beer and shitty food came back up.

After a solid five minutes of retching, Mac stood up, bracing himself against the sink. He brushed his teeth, brushed them again, then shuffled out into the kitchen.

His head was throbbing and his throat was raw, but just like every morning, he still expected to see Dennis sitting at the table. It hurt more this morning, knowing Dennis was mere blocks away, eating breakfast with his new family rather than the one he left behind.

 

* * *

 

_“You’re what?” Dee asked, wide eyed._

_“Together,” Dennis said, squeezing Mac’s hand._

_“Like, a couple?” Charlie asked._

_“A couple,” Dennis repeated._

_“And you’re back in Philly for good?” Dee asked._

_“I am."_

_“About goddamn time.” Frank said, and everyone laughed._

_“What?” Mac asked, looking around at his friends._

_“You’ve been in love with Dennis forever,” Charlie said._

_Dee added, “And Dennis has been getting off on it for just as long. It was only a matter of time before you two morons caved.”_

_“So you guys don’t… care?” Mac asked._

_“Not really,” Charlie said, and relief washed over Mac. “I mean, I’m glad you’re happy or whatever. But I’m not, like, against it.”_

_“I don’t give a shit either way,” Frank said._

_Mac and Dennis looked at each other, smiling wide, then Dennis leaned in to kiss Mac._

_“Gross,” Dee said, going back to washing glasses._

_“You’re gross,” Dennis said, leading Mac over to the bar._

_“Yeah, you’re gross, bird,” Mac echoed, and Dennis laughed._

_“Okay, now that you two are out or whatever, can we talk about my thing?” Charlie asked. “Because you’re not gonna believe what we found down by the bridge.”_

_“Not the goddamn bridge,” Dennis said, letting go of Mac’s hand and reaching over the bar to grab them each a beer, despite the fact that it was barely 11AM. "I didn't move back to Philly to hear you talk about the bridge."_

_“Yes the goddamn bridge!” Charlie said. “We found buried treasure, dude!”_

 

* * *

 

Mac walked into the bar and almost left when six heads turned to look at him rather than four.

“Mac!” Mandy exclaimed, then hurried over to wrap him in a big hug. Mac didn’t hug back. “It’s so nice to see ya again!”

“Uh, you too?” Mac said when she pulled back. He couldn’t fathom why she was acting this way. All he’d done was lie to her. She couldn’t be _that_ nice.

“Hey, man,” Dennis said from his barstool. Brian sat on the bar in front of him, Dee on the other side with an arm wrapped around the kid, both of them playing with some brightly colored plastic toy.

“Hey,” Mac said, walking behind the bar to grab a beer. He noticed Dennis didn’t have one, so he grabbed two.

“It’s 2:15,” Dennis said when Mac put it down in front of him.

Mac cracked his open and took a swig. “So?”

“So,” Dennis said, looking over at Mandy. “I don’t really drink during the day anymore.”

“Really?” they all said in unison.

“Yeah,” Dennis replied with a short laugh at their disbelief. “Turns out other jobs will fire you if you’re drunk by 1PM. Who knew?”

“What’s your job out there?” Charlie asked, pushing his beer away from him, which elicited an eye roll from Mac.

“I’m actually a manager at the Applebee’s where I met this gal,” Dennis said, smiling at Mandy. “It’s not ideal, but a man in his 40s with one job on his résumé isn’t exactly a gold standard employee. At least I’m not a busboy.”

“He’s thinking of going to school, maybe becoming a vet tech,” Mandy said. "But right now it’s about experience and a paycheck."

Mac couldn’t believe he was hearing Dennis talk like this. A year ago he’d be flying into a rage, screaming that any employer would be lucky to hire a five star man like himself, but that no job was worthy of the Golden God.

“What about you, doll?” Frank asked. “What’re you doing?”

“Oh, I work at a daycare. Which is very convenient,” Mandy said, reaching her hand out to tickle Brian’s tummy, causing the child to laugh. Dee laughed too, wrapping her arm around her nephew a little tighter.

“The kids call her Miss Mandy,” Dennis said. “But Brian calls her Miss Mommy. It’s adorable.”

“Miss Mommy,” Brian cooed, and everyone laughed. Everyone except Mac.

“You seem different, Den,” Mac said abruptly, his tone perhaps a bit too accusatory. “Like, really different."

“Oh,” Dennis said, seeming uncharacteristically sheepish. “Yeah. Well, I’m…”

“It's okay,” Mandy said gently. Dennis looked at her, still unsure, and she continued, "They're your best friends. Tell them."

“Tell us what?” Mac asked, looking at Dee, who seemed equally confused.

Dennis opened and closed his mouth a few times, clearly trying to say something but not knowing where to start.

“You want me to tell ‘em, sweetie?” Mandy asked. Mac bristled at the pet name while Dennis nodded.

“Dennis is seeing a psychiatrist, specifically for anger management,” Mandy said, rubbing a soothing hand on his back. “And he's been taking a mood stabilizer every day for the last nine months or so.”

“I almost,” Dennis started, then ran a hand gently over his son’s head, holding the boy’s cheek against his hand for a moment. “I almost hurt Brian. When I first got to North Dakota. I was angry and I almost hurt him. And Mandy told me I had to either get my shit together or I could never see him again. So… I got my shit together. I stopped drinking as much, I told a psychiatrist about my... previous diagnosis. He's been really helpful, and the meds have been good too.”

“Dennis,” Dee said, handing Brian off to Mandy and hurrying around the bar to give her brother a hug. “I’m so proud of you. Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Thanks, sis,” Dennis said, pulling back. “And I don’t know. I was embarrassed, I guess. Maybe I just wanted to wait and tell you in person.”

“I’m proud too,” Frank said, raising his glass.

“Yeah, man, good for you,” Charlie said.

Dennis looked at Mac expectantly.

Mac had always found Dennis’s unpredictability exciting, thrilled by how he seemed like he could snap at any moment. Mac laughed the gruesome threats Dennis could pull out of thin air and egged on his manic, raving monologues about the mildest of inconveniences. He knew Dennis’s behavior was fucked up, but Mac was fucked up, too. That’s part of why he loved Dennis. He understood what it was like to be fucked up beyond repair, to grow up with parents who couldn’t give less of a shit about you and have to fend for yourself, to carve out your own niche in a shithole of a city that didn’t want or need you and try to survive.

It was seeming more and more like that version of Dennis had died in a fiery Range Rover explosion.

“Congrats, bro.”

“Thanks, guys.”

 

* * *

 

_“You know,” Dee said later that day. “You two being a couple doesn’t change our Chardee MacDennis teams.”_

_“No shit,” Dennis said. “Just because I’m banging the guy doesn’t mean I trust him to win The Game of Games, Dee.”_

_“We’re gonna win, bro,” Mac said with a determined look at Charlie. “One of these days, we’re gonna kick your ass.”_

_“Hell yeah we are,” Charlie said, then high-fived Mac. “Especially with our new team name.”_

_“THUNDER CROWS!” Mac yelled._

_“THUNDER CROWS!” Charlie yelled back, drawing out the vowel sounds._

_They both sprang out of their stools, lifting their arms and choking out what they believed to be crow sounds._

_Dee leaned over to Dennis and asked, “You sure you still wanna date this moron?”_

_Dennis looked at her, then back at Mac. “I’m absolutely sure I want to spend the rest of my life with that ridiculous crow.”_

_She smiled. “I thought so.”_

 

* * *

 

“So, new topic,” Dee said, sparing her brother any further discussion of his self-help. “Mandy, did you guys pick a date yet?”

Dennis shot a concerned look at Mac, whose face bunched up in confusion. _A date for what?_

“Oh, I dunno,” Mandy said, oblivious to the silent exchange between the two men. “I’ve always wanted a spring wedding, but it really depends on when we can get off work.”

She kept talking, but Mac didn’t hear her. For the first time since walking in the bar, he noticed it. A dainty gold ring wrapped around the fourth finger on her left hand. Its small trio of diamonds sparkled tauntingly under the bar lights as Mandy tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. Mac felt dizzy. Dennis was marrying her. This woman he barely knew, who barely knew any of them. This stupid bitch who’d trapped him with a baby was trapping him for good, keeping him from any other relationship with any other person. Keeping him from a relationship with Mac.

Wasn’t their plan supposed to have been the other way around?

“Dennis,” Mac said, interrupting whatever Mandy was still yammering about, his voice tight. “Can I talk to you in the back office?”

Without waiting for an answer, Mac stormed across the bar and held the door open expectantly.

“Goddamnit, Dee,” Dennis sighed, then followed Mac into the office.

As the door closed, they heard Mandy say, “What the heck was that about?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If anyone is wondering, [this](https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/21/25/7d/21257d1306b87506eb8e2e35e1c09e38.jpg) is how I picture Mandy's ring.


	4. Confession

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "You're my best friend, bro, and it sucks not having you around."

_They were alone in the bar. Frank was in the back office, talking to someone in broken Vietnamese and Charlie and Dee had gone out to get supplies for a game of Chardee MacDennis._

_“This is awesome,” Mac said. “It’s like nothing’s changed.”_

_“Nothing has changed,” Dennis said. “They’re right. We’ve pretty much been together this whole time.”_

_“But now it’s more better,” Mac said. “Since we’re_ actually _together.”_

_“No shit,” Dennis said, then kissed him again. Every time he did, Mac’s knees went weak and he saw fireworks all over again. It always ended too soon._

_“Hey, so,” Mac said. “About what you said earlier.”_

_“That I’m going to fucking eviscerate, decapitate and disembowel you goddamn Thunder Crows just like the last crow who crossed me?” Dennis said, repeating verbatim what he’d said when the Thunder Crows had officially challenged the Golden Geese._

_“No,” Mac replied, laughing again at the absurd threat. “That you want to spend the rest of your life with me.”_

_“Oh.”_

_“Did you mean that?”_

_Dennis shrugged. “Yeah, I guess. That was pretty much already the plan before everything with…” He didn’t say her name. “I mean, we’ve spent almost every day together since we were 14.”_

_“Yeah, but we’ve also spent those days with Dee and Charlie.”_

_“Yeah, but I’m not fucking Dee and Charlie.”_

_“Yeah, but you weren’t fucking me until yesterday.”_

_Dennis sighed. “What do you want me to say, Mac? That I want to marry you?”_

_“Do you?” Mac asked, eyes wide._

_“Not really. I’m kind of over the whole marriage thing after Maureen, that dead bitch.”_

_“Oh,” Mac said, feeling unexpectedly deflated._

_“Do you want to get married?” Dennis asked, his voice surprisingly earnest._

_"I don't know," Mac said. "Maybe?"_

_Dennis looked at Mac for a long time, and then said, "Then maybe we will."_

_Before they could discuss it any more, the door burst open and in came Dee and Charlie, each making their team’s respective bird calls and carrying a ton of grocery bags._

_“Let the Game of Games commence!” Dennis yelled._

 

* * *

 

“You’re _marrying_ her?!” Mac yelled as soon as the office door was closed.

“Dude, keep it the fuck down,” Dennis hissed. “I don’t want them to hear us.”

Mac took a deep breath, feeling the familiar sting of tears starting to prickle behind his eyes. “Why, Dennis?”

“Because you’re being ridiculous, dude.”

“No! I mean, why are you marrying her?”

“Why the hell wouldn’t I marry her?” Dennis countered. “We’re both in our 40s, we live together, we have a kid together. It makes sense.”

“So that’s it?” Mac asked. “Just because you’re both old and live in the same house? You shouldn't marry someone you don't love!”

“I do love her,” Dennis said quietly.

Mac felt like he was going to throw up. “You _love_ her?”

“Yeah, dude. She’s sweet, and patient. She’s been nothing but supportive over the past year while I’ve adjusted to a normal life. Plus, it turns out she’s into some pretty kinky shit, which is great for me. Like, a few weeks ago I had to work late, and when I got home Brian was at her mom's for the night and she was naked and had handcuffed herself to–"

"Dennis," Mac said, cutting him off.

"Sorry," Dennis replied. "Look, most importantly, I love my son. I don’t want him to grow up in the same shitty, broken home I did.”

“But your parents were married, dude.”

“That’s my point, man. I need to prove that I can be a better father and a better husband than my piece of shit dad and piece of shit Nazi grandfather and all the pieces of shit that came before them. I want one Reynolds kid to have a normal childhood with a father who's there for him.”

Mac wanted to fight him on it, but everything he was saying was right. Admirable, even. Of course Dennis, who always wanted to be the best at everything, wanted to be the best father he could be. If that meant marrying the mother of his child, then so be it.

Instead of saying any of that, he said, “You could’ve married me.”

Dennis’s eyes nearly bugged out of his skull.

 

* * *

 

_Chardee MacDennis history was being made._

_Not only were the Thunder Crows currently on Level 3 for the first time ever, but the Golden Geese were only on Level 2. Mac and Charlie already had one card, and needed one more to win the game._

_Mac said a quick prayer and slowly drew a card._

_“All play!” he yelled excitedly, but his face fell as he read, “Firing Squad.”_

_Dennis and Dee cheered, and Charlie almost screamed in frustration._

_“What’s Firing Squad?” Frank asked from his place at the bar, his role now reduced to spectator slash cheerleader slash heckler following the Horror debacle._

_“Read the card, Mac,” Dennis said with a smile._

_“The Player who draws this card must figure out, with their Teammate, if they or their Teammate will face the Firing Squad. The chosen Player will stand at a wall with their hands tied behind their back and cannot move. The Firing Squad will move twelve paces from the Player, then toss a tennis ball, underhanded, as hard as they can. If the Player flinches, they and their Teammate do a shot. If the Player succeeds, their team gets this card.”_

_“NOT IT,” Charlie yelled._

_“Dude, come on!” Mac said. “You’re so much better at getting hurt than me!”_

_“I won us the last card. It’s your turn.”_

_“Fine,” Mac grumbled. “Get the rope.”_

_Dennis laughed and dug into their box of supplies._

_“You know,” he said, snapping the length of rope at the air in front of him. “I didn’t think the first time I tied you up would be for Chardee MacDennis.”_

_Dee let out an exaggerated gag that made Mac smile before he remembered he was about to be pelted with tennis balls. Once he was tied up tight, Dennis pressed a lingering kiss to the back of Mac’s neck, sending chills down Mac’s spine._

_“Good luck, baby boy. You’re gonna need it.”_

_The rest of the gang dramatically took their 12 paces and turned to face Mac._

_“Charlie,” Dennis said. “You’re up first.”_

_Charlie tossed the ball gently and it landed short of Mac, just barely grazing his shoe. He, of course, did not flinch. Dee was up next. She tossed the ball and missed Mac by about a mile._

_“Dee, you uncoordinated bitch!” Dennis screeched. “He’s twelve feet away and you miss him?!”_

_“I’m sorry!” Dee said. “We’ve been drinking for hours, Dennis.”_

_“Un-fucking-believable,” Dennis said, single-handedly tossing the tennis ball up and down. “Once again, the success of the Golden Geese comes down to my precision and skill. You would be nothing without me, Deandra. Nothing.”_

_“Just throw the ball, dickbag,” Dee said._

_Dennis smiled wickedly at Mac, still tossing the tennis ball up and down. “I’m comin’ for that cock, baby.”_

_Mac laughed despite himself. “This is not the context that I want to hear you say that.”_

_“Can we please make a rule where no one can discuss their sex life at any time during the game?” Dee asked._

_“Shut up, bitch,” Mac and Dennis said in unison, then laughed._

_While Mac was still laughing, Dennis wound up and hurled the ball, hitting the other man square in the dick. Mac made a high pitched squeaking sound and fell to his knees, face contorted in pain._

_Dennis, Dee and Charlie all yelled,_

_“EAT IT, BITCH!”_

_“BOOM! FACE!”_

_“GODDAMNIT MAC!”_

_Mac stayed on the ground, groaning and trying to break free of his ropes. “Untie me, you evil sons of bitches.”_

_Dennis sauntered forward and began to free Mac from his constraints, running a gentle hand over his hair. “I’d apologize, but all’s fair in love and Chardee MacDennis.”_

_“You’re still gonna have to make this up to me,” Mac said, standing up and shaking out his arms._

_“Of course,” Dennis said, hitting Mac in the dick again for good measure, ignoring the other man’s cry of pain._

_“Drink up, losers,” Dee said, bringing the Thunder Crows their shots._

 

* * *

 

“What did you just say?” Dennis asked, voice barely above a whisper.

Mac was frozen. “I… I don’t…”

“Did you just say I should marry _you_?”

“No! I just mean… You could have… Before you left, when we were gonna…”

“Mac,” Dennis said slowly. “What are you talking about?”

“When we were a couple so Mandy would leave you alone, and then she said we could both be Brian’s dads,” Mac said quickly, not making eye contact.

“We were not a couple, Mac!” Dennis snapped. “We were very poorly pretending to be a couple to lie to the mother of my child and cut her out of my life. Which, might I add, did not work at all.”

Mac had nothing left to say. Dennis sighed, and sat down on the desk. He patted the wood next to him, and Mac slowly shuffled over to sit next to him.

“What is this about, Mac?”

“You know what it’s about,” Mac said. “Everyone knows what it’s about, man."

"Tell me," Dennis said quietly.

Instead of answering, Mac just stared at Dennis. For the first time in his life, he let his eyes roam over Dennis's face without a hint of shame or guilt. Mac had always liked looking at Dennis, but thoughts of hellfire and pleading atonement always made him avert his eyes. He'd never let himself truly appreciate Dennis, until now. He looked at Dennis's hair, tousled and falling onto his forehead, just starting to get too long. His eyes, their same piercing blue, and the mascara coated lashes around them. His nose and his cheeks, gently defined by a light layer of makeup. It was nice to see that that part of Dennis hadn’t changed. Lastly, Mac let his eyes linger on Dennis's lips, pink and soft and pursed slightly while he waited for Mac to speak.

He took a deep breath and looked back into Dennis's eyes.

"Mac?"

It was now or never.

 

* * *

 

_"I can not fucking believe you guys won," Mac said, slamming the door of their apartment behind them._

_"The Golden Geese always win, Mac. The sooner you accept this, the better."_

_Mac sighed and plopped down on the couch. "At least Charlie and I made it to level three this time."_

_"That is quite admirable, I will admit" Dennis said, sitting down next to him and turning on the television._

_Dennis extended an arm and Mac leaned into his side, sighing happily as Dennis pulled him closer._

_"I missed you so much," Mac said._

_"So you've mentioned," Dennis replied. He flipped through the channels, eventually landing on an episode of Cops._

_"I'm serious, Dennis. It sucked without you. I was miserable."_

_Dennis didn't say anything, but Mac felt the other man's arm wrap tighter around his shoulders._

_"I slept in your bed every night," Mac continued. He was rambling now, still drunk from Chardee MacDennis and afraid to sit in silence. "Every morning when I woke up, I expected to see you lying next to me. But you never were. This morning was the best thing that ever happened to me."_

_"Not last night?" Dennis asked._

_Mac shook his head. "No. I mean, yeah. Last night was fucking awesome, man. But you were still there in the morning. That was the best part for me. I was scared that it was all a joke or something."_

_"A joke?"_

_"Yeah, like you were just trying to get me to react," Mac elaborated. "And you were gonna laugh at me for wanting to bang you."_

_"I wouldn't do that," Dennis said. "Not to you. Not anymore."_

_"You promise?" Mac asked._

_Dennis laughed once. "Yes, Mac. I promise to continue banging you in earnest. You don't have to worry. I genuinely want your dick in my ass."_

_Mac laughed. It sounded so ridiculous when Dennis said it like that, but he wouldn't have it any other way._

_He gazed up at Dennis, then brought a hand up to the other man's cheek, turning Dennis's head to face him. He looked into Dennis's blue eyes, crinkling at the corners while he smiled. There were crow's feet beginning to form around the edges and Mac could see flecks of grey in his temples. He liked it. It made Dennis seem more human and less like a deity. It made Mac feel worthy of being with him._

_"Hey, Dennis," Mac said quietly._

_"Yeah, Mac?"_

_"I'm in love with you."_

 

* * *

 

"I'm in love with you."

 

* * *

 

_Dennis's smile grew impossibly wider, and Mac felt like he might pass out._

_"I'm in love with you too."_

_Mac smiled as relief washed over him, then leaned up to kiss Dennis._

_He'd just heard those words from Dennis Reynolds. Dennis Reynolds, who Mac had loved since he was 14. Dennis Reynolds, who never admitted to having feelings about anyone or anything._

_Dennis Reynolds was in love with him._

 

* * *

 

Dennis sighed. "No shit, Mac."

"And?"

"And?" Dennis repeated. "And what?"

"And..." Mac started. "Do you..."

"Do I what, man?" Dennis said, pushing off the desk and turning to face Mac. "Do I love you? Is that what you're asking me?"

Mac blushed furiously and looked down at his shoes.

"Fucking look at me." Mac didn't comply, so Dennis continued. "Goddamnit. This is exactly why I didn't want to come back."

Mac half peeked up at Dennis. "What?"

"I didn't want to come back," Dennis repeated, his voice sharp as knives. "All your sad drunk texts, the fact that you were sleeping in my bed, and Dee told me about the string of guys you were banging who looked like me. I knew coming back here with Mandy would make you get all fucking weird."

"Then why did you?"

"Mandy wanted to meet everyone again now that we're engaged. She also really wanted to see the Liberty Bell, since I kind of conned her out of it last time."

"So you just do whatever she tells you?"

Dennis rolled his eyes. "I did this for her because I knew it would make her happy. And because I missed my friends."

"You mean you missed Dee and Charlie," Mac said with a sneer.

"No, asshole, I mean I missed _you_. You're my best friend, bro, and it sucks not having you around. But we can't be friends if you're going to be weird and sad every time we see each other."

"I'm not trying to be weird," Mac argued.

"You mean interrupting my fiancée while she's talking about our wedding and demanding to speak to me in private isn't weird to you?"

Mac shrugged. He had nothing left to say.

“Look, I’m sorry if this little reunion didn’t live up to whatever expectations you had, Mac,” Dennis said. "But I'm marrying her. That’s the end of it."

"I know," Mac said, then finally raised his head to look Dennis in the eye. "But what if you weren't?"

"Un-fucking-believable!" Dennis yelled, and started to reach for the door handle.

"Dennis, wait," Mac said, and Dennis froze. "I just mean... In a different world... If you hadn't... And she didn't... Would we...?"

"I don't know, man," Dennis said. He looked at Mac for a long time, and then said, "Maybe."

Mac felt his blood run cold. "Maybe?"

"Yeah, maybe. I mean, we spent every goddamn waking second together for almost thirty years. You're a good guy, Mac. You're loyal and passionate and, objectively speaking, you're attractive enough. You drove me fucking nuts, but you made me happy, too. Plus, you're out now and I've hooked up with guys before, so–"

"Wait, what?"

"Move past it," Dennis said quickly. "But, I don't know, man. Somewhere down the line, we might've..."

Mac bit the inside of his lip as he nodded at Dennis, trying his hardest not to cry. It was worse, somehow, knowing there was there was something that could have been rather than no chance at all.

"But that doesn't matter now," Dennis said. "What matters is my son. Which is why I'm marrying Mandy."

Mac nodded, stood up, and left Paddy's without a word.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Poor Mac can't even win Chardee MacDennis in his own imagination.
> 
> Shoutout to [bestchardeemacdennisgame](http://bestchardeemacdennisgame.blogspot.com) for the Level 3 card. Their cards are hilarious and horrifying and I salute them.


	5. Aftermath

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "I don't know when we'll get to see him again."

Mac stomped through his apartment and straight to Dennis's room. He took a deep breath, grabbed the end of the mattress and pulled as hard as he could. He let out a loud, frustrated scream, then pulled it completely off the bed frame.

Twenty minutes later, the bed was reassembled in Mac's room. His back hurt and his throat was sore, but he didn't have to set foot in Dennis's room anymore. Sure, it was technically still Dennis's bed, but Dennis hadn't slept there in over a year, and Mac wasn't made of money. He kicked off his shoes, stripped down to his boxers and flopped down onto the bed.

His bed. In his room. In his apartment. Where he lived, alone.

 

* * *

 

It was 10:34AM on Saturday when Mac bothered to snap back to reality. His phone rang with a call from Dee, which he let go to voicemail. He listened to her message immediately.

"Hey, dickhole. I don't know what happened with you and Dennis the other day and I don't really want to know, but he's been fucked up ever since. Him and Mandy checked out of their hotel and they'll be at Paddy's until they leave for the airport around 1. Please come say goodbye to him. I don't know when we'll get to see him again."

 

* * *

 

It was 12:24PM when Mac walked into Paddy's. Dennis and Mandy were going through their bags, double checking that they had everything. Charlie was holding Brian, chattering at him about the Nightman while Dee hovered closely behind them.

"Hey," Mac said simply, and everyone turned to look. He tried to ignore how wide Dennis smiled.

"Oh, you made it!" Mandy said, hurrying over to give Mac another hug. He put one arm around her. "We're just getting ready to leave."

"I overslept," Mac lied. He'd spent at least an hour debating whether or not to actually show up.

"Hey, bro," Dennis said, handing Mac a beer when he walked over.

"Hi, Den," Mac said, taking the beer with a smile. "Thanks."

"No problem."

It felt normal. Almost.

Too soon it was time for goodbyes, and Mac wished he'd come to the bar sooner. He managed to wrap both arms around Mandy this time and even gave Brian a hug, holding the kid for the first time ever. He smiled when Mandy asked her son to say goodbye to his Uncle Mac.

Dennis walked over to Mac and wrapped him in a hug. Mac hugged him back, allowing himself to rest his head against Dennis’s shoulder. The hug lasted too long, but neither of them seemed to care.

When they eventually pulled back, Dennis kept his hands on Mac’s shoulders. “Stay in touch, yeah?”

“Yeah,” Mac said with a nod. “You know, they’ve been showing Predator on one of those movie channels. Maybe one night we could watch it together on the phone or something?”

Dennis smiled. “Definitely.”

Eventually, they made their way out of the bar and Dennis called a cab. Mac helped him load their luggage into the trunk and they all waved goodbye as the car pulled away from the curb. Mac stayed on the sidewalk outside of Paddy’s until their taxi rounded the corner, and for a long time after that, fighting back tears. While the rest of the gang milled about inside the bar, preparing for a Saturday night, he prayed that Dennis and his family would get home safely, and that tomorrow would be better.

 

* * *

 

Mac stood up from his pew, shaking out his legs one at a time. He looked at the clock on the wall. 1:45PM. Sunday Mass had gone on longer than he'd expected and the pews in this place were too goddamn close together.

"I like your shirt."

Mac turned to his left and was immediately struck by the sight. A tall man stood next to him, green eyes sparkling under shaggy blonde hair and toned arms practically bursting out of his tee shirt.

"Huh?" Mac asked, a little dazed.

"Your shirt," the man repeated. “‘BEAST COAST.' That's cute."

"Oh! Thank you," Mac said, feeling his face heat up. "Are you new here?"

"Yup! I just moved to Philly for work and my apartment is around the corner, so I figured I'd check this place out. Name's Justin."

Mac took the man's extended hand and reveled in the strong grip of his handshake. "I'm Mac."

"Nice to meet you, Mac."

"You too."

They stood in an awkward silence for a few moments, Mac not knowing how to continue but knowing damn well he wanted to keep looking at this man.

"You know," Mac said eventually. "I've lived in Philly my whole life. We could get lunch and I could tell you all the coolest places to go, if you want."

"Lunch sounds great," Justin said with a smile. "Hey, could we get cheesesteaks? Is that totally lame? I've never had one."

Mac laughed. "Your first cheesesteak is practically a Philly rite of passage, dude."

"Good, because I'm goddamn starving," Justin replied, without a hint of apprehension about taking the Lord's name in vain in a church. Mac liked him already.

"Then let's get you a fuckin' cheesesteak.”

“Lead the way, Beast Coast."

He felt giddy as he lead the other man out of their church and down the street. Maybe, he realized, Justin could be the jacked, blonde window God was opening now that Mac's door to Dennis was shut for good. _Just in time_ , Mac thought, and smiled to himself.

 

* * *

 

Mac and Dennis talked sporadically over the next two weeks. Some stray texts, one phone call, which didn’t include watching Predator. Mac was worried their promise to stay in touch was a hollow one. Then, at 3:17PM on a Sunday, his phone lit up with a text from Dennis. 

> _Busy tonight?_
> 
> **_Just at Paddys why_ **
> 
> _It’s the 30th!!_
> 
> **_???_ **
> 
> _Monthly dinner! Skype. Leave Paddy’s early and steal Dee’s laptop._
> 
> **_Whats skype_ **
> 
> _Just open the blue bubble with the S that’s on the desktop around 11 and answer when a box with my face pops up._
> 
> **_Oh like on webcam?_ **
> 
> _Yeah it’s webcam. Get Guiginos take out. I want to see their food even though I can’t eat it._
> 
> **_Ok sounds fun_ **
> 
> _:)_

Mac was ready to go at 10:45PM, Dee's swiped laptop set up on his kitchen table with Skype open and waiting. Exactly 15 minutes later, he got an incoming call. He clicked accept, and suddenly, there was Dennis.

"Heyooo!"

“Oh shit!” Mac said. “That’s so cool!”

“Welcome to the future, baby!” Dennis said. “Did you get Guiginos?”

Mac held up a tin container of spaghetti, and Dennis pretended to inhale the scent. “God, I wish I was there eating that.”

“I wish you were here, too,” Mac said. He didn't miss Dennis's smile falter a bit.

“So, what’s going on over there?” Dennis asked. "Anything interesting happening?”

“Okay, so," Mac started excitedly. "Frank came to the bar yesterday dressed as a man _zebra_.”

"What the hell is a man zebra?"

"Exactly what it sounds like, dude."

“So," Dennis said slowly. "Like a man cheetah but with stripes?”

“Yeah. Apparently he met a stripe guy in the sewer and he traded the guy a handgun for a shitload of zebra stripes.”

“A fucking stripe guy in the sewer,” Dennis said, more to himself than to Mac. “I can’t believe actually miss that shit. The most exciting thing that happened to me this week was finally getting to fire this asshole at work.”

"What'd he do?"

Dennis sighed. "Typical shit. Rude to customers, late all the time, lazy as hell. Basically how we ran Paddy's. Now that I say it, it doesn't sound exciting at all. I didn't even yell at him."

"Bummer," Mac said through a mouthful of spaghetti.

"Dennis?" Mac heard Mandy say from somewhere offscreen.

"In here!" Dennis said, turning away from his computer.

Suddenly, Mandy appeared behind him. "Are you coming to– Oh! Hi, Mac!"

"Hey, Mandy," Mac said, giving her a small wave.

She put a hand on Dennis's shoulder. "You coming to bed soon, honey?"

"In a little bit, yeah," Dennis said, then looked back at Mac. "It's our monthly dinner."

"Not too late, okay? You have work earlier than usual tomorrow," Mandy said, and Mac fought the urge to scoff.

"I know, babe. I'll be fine."

Mandy smiled and leaned down to kiss Dennis goodnight, so Mac not-so-subtly averted his eyes. He looked over at his couch, where Justin sat, reading a book and bobbing his head to the music playing through his headphones. Justin looked over at him and smiled, then mouthed, "You done?" Mac shook his head, so Justin nodded and went back to reading.

"Sorry about that," Dennis said, and Mac turned back to the computer to see that he was alone again. "Tell me more."

Mac thought for a moment. "Well, a week ago we found Cricket jacking off to a Polaroid of Dee in the bunker."

"Tell me less," Dennis said quickly. "Tell me much less. Why would you fucking tell me that?"

Mac laughed. "I don't know, dude! It was all I could think of!"

"What'd you guys do to him?"

"Get this – _Dee_ was the one who caught him. Once she realized it was a picture of her, she kicked him in the dick and chased him out of the bar with a broom."

"Christ," Dennis said, shaking his head in disbelief. "That's incredible."

"You should've seen her, bro." Mac pitched up his voice in a poor, squawking impression of Dee. "'You filthy motherfucking street rat! You and your goddamn rotten homeless cock better get out of this bar before I fucking bash your ugly face in! I never wanna see your disgusting ass anywhere near me for the rest of your piece of shit life!' It was almost impressive. I wouldn't be surprised if she broke his spine with how hard she was smashing him with that broom."

Dennis laughed once, but it dissolved into a sigh. "Goddamn, I miss you guys. I don't think a single person in this entire state has ever even thought the word motherfucker."

“You guys could always move back here,” Mac said. He was joking, but not really.

Dennis smiled. “We could.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know this one was short after a long wait, but it needed a wrap-up. Stay tuned for our thrilling conclusion, in which the expectations return.


	6. Epilogue, Part One – Rehearsal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Mac moved on, Den. It's time for you to do the same.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I decided to split the final chapter into two parts because my job has been nuts and I haven't had time to finish it but didn't want to leave you guys hanging too long or rush something I'm not happy with. Also, this epilogue has turned out to be way longer than I expected it to be, which seems to be the pattern with this fic.
> 
> We're jumping over to Dennis’s head for the expectations in this one. It’s a bit of a different format – rather than his expectations following a parallel linear narrative the way Mac’s did, it’s smaller moments Dennis is expecting to happen as reality progresses. More like daydreams.

** REALITY **

Dennis stood in the hotel lobby, practically bouncing up and down. He looked at his phone and saw the text Dee had sent at 3:02PM telling him they were leaving the airport. It was about a twenty-minute drive from there to the Holiday Inn, so he knew they’d arrive soon. He wished he’d asked Dee what kind of car Frank had rented.

It had only been four months since he’d seen the gang, but it felt like a lifetime. He’d kept in much better touch with Mac this time around, continuing their monthly Skype dinners and trying to text each other every day. The familiarity of checking in with Mac was comforting. Despite living in North Dakota for a year and a half, he still hadn’t quite settled in. He often felt like a visitor in his own home. Not that he had one foot out the door. It was more like he hadn’t quite been able to pull that foot inside. He looked at his phone again. 3:21PM.

Dennis held his breath when a shiny red car pulled up outside the hotel doors, then felt his entire body light up when Dee stepped out of the passenger side door. He smiled as Charlie scrambled out of the back seat and Frank walked around the front. The three of them walked into the hotel, and Dennis couldn’t stand still any longer.

“Dee!” he said, running toward her and practically tackling her in a hug. For the second time, he hadn’t realized how much he’d missed having his twin by his side until they were reunited. It felt like a phantom limb had been reattached. She immediately wrapped her arms around him, both of them laughing as they rocked back and forth.

“Nice to see you, too,” she said when they pulled back.

Dennis gave Charlie a hug and clapped Frank on the shoulder, welcoming them to North Dakota. Then, he realized someone was missing.

“Where’s Mac?” he asked.

* * *

** _DENNIS'S EXPECTATIONS_ **

_"I'm right here," Mac said as he walked through the front doors._

_Mac beelined for Dennis, nearly knocking him over before wrapping two strong arms around the other man's waist._

_"I missed you, Den," Mac said, his words muffled by Dennis's shoulder._

_Dennis wound his arms around Mac's shoulders with a smile. "I missed you, too, man."_

_When they pulled back, Dennis had never seen a bigger smile on Mac's face._

_"Hi," Mac said, with an embarrassed glance down at the floor._

_"Hey," Dennis replied, smiling back at his best friend._

* * *

Before anyone could answer, the hotel doors slid open again and in walked Mac, shouldering most of the gang’s luggage in a very Mac-like show of strength. Behind him was a rather handsome blonde man Dennis didn’t recognize, effortlessly carrying the rest of their bags.

“Hey, Dennis!” Mac said, then gave him a short wave before grabbing the bag that started to slip off his shoulder.

“Hey, man,” Dennis replied, wheeling the luggage cart he’d procured over to Mac.

“Thanks,” Mac said as he and the Mystery Blonde unloaded all the bags.

“Yeah, no problem.”

Dennis eyed the new man up and down. He knew the gang had RSVP’d with a plus one, but he'd assumed it was going to be a whore Frank hired or Dee thinking she’d have been able to find a date in time. Either way, he hadn’t expected to see… this. He was almost aggravatingly handsome up close, taller than Mac by a few inches and practically made of perfectly tanned muscle, put on display by a tight henley. A beefcake, to borrow from Mac’s vernacular.

“Dennis,” Mac said. “This is Justin. Justin, Dennis.”

Justin reached out a hand and Dennis took it, surprised by the man’s strong grip. “Nice to finally meet you, man! Congrats on the wedding.”

“Thanks,” Dennis said, then turned slowly to Mac. “So, are you guys…?”

“Dating,” Mac said. “Yeah. We’ve been together like? Three months?”

"About that," Justin confirmed.

“And you brought him to my wedding?” Dennis asked. He meant to sound light and teasing, but it came out like an accusation.

“My brother and his wife live here in Bismarck,” Justin explained. "I haven’t seen them and my nephew in a while, so when Mac told me he was coming out here, I figured I’d tag along.”

“We’re gonna go see them day after the wedding,” Mac added, and Dennis thought it was strange to hear Mac refer to a “we” that didn’t include him.

“How old’s your nephew?” Dennis asked.

“Just turned three,” Justin answered.

“Oh, my son is three,” Dennis said. “What's his name?”

“Mikey Adams.”

Dennis thought for a moment. “Are his parents Annie and Jake?”

“That’s them!” Justin said excitedly.

“Mikey goes to preschool with Brian,” Dennis said. “He was at my house for a play date the other day.”

“Small world.”

“Totally,” Dennis said, then shifted uncomfortably. “Well, I have your guys’ room keys.”

“Hey, where’s Mandy?” Dee asked as Dennis distributed the key cards to the group.

“She’s over at the church with her mom and Brian making sure everything is good to go for tomorrow. But she wants you to call her when you get settled. Super secret bridesmaid stuff, apparently."

"Got it," Dee said.

“It’s so weird that  _you,_ of all people, are getting married in a church,” Charlie said as the group walked toward the elevators.

“I know,” Dennis said with a laugh. “But Mandy wanted to, and it really wasn’t a big deal to me.”

“Well, I’m excited,” Mac said. “Maybe it’ll finally conv–“

“I’m never gonna goddamn convert, Mac,” Dennis said with an exaggerated eye roll in his friend’s direction. Mac huffed and pressed the elevator call button.

“Okay, well,” Dennis said with a clap, addressing the small group in front of him. “Don’t forget, rehearsal dinner starts tonight at 7 in the hotel restaurant back through that hallway. It’s casual, what you guys are wearing is fine. I’ve gotta run home and get some stuff together. See you later?”

The gang all gave their affirmation and loaded into the elevator. As the doors slid closed, Justin slung his arm over Mac’s shoulders and for one brief, confusing moment, Dennis saw red.

* * *

Dennis white knuckled the steering wheel on his short drive from the hotel to his house. He didn’t know why he was so irritated that Mac had brought this stranger to his wedding. He should be happy that Mac had finally bagged the type of guy he’d been blatantly lusting after for as long as Dennis could remember. Instead, he felt… furious.

He pulled into his driveway, put the car in park and pinched the bridge of his nose. He was not going to let this throw him off. Not when he’d been doing so well lately.

* * *

The rehearsal dinner was in full swing. Dennis and Mandy had decided to skip the formal toasts and have Dennis say a few words before the food was served. Mandy, he’d discovered shortly after proposing, had been married before. She’d spent thousands of dollars on a wedding, only to find out a month later that he’d been having an affair with a coworker for a year and a half. Between that and Dennis’s failed marriage to Maureen, neither of them were going for anything fancy.

“Can I get everyone’s attention?” Dennis asked. The dull murmur around the room subsided and the guests put down their drinks. He stood up and faced the small crowd, consisting of Mandy’s family at his own table, the gang at another, a select group of Dennis's coworkers and two more tables of Mandy’s friends and their husbands. He cleared his throat and raised what was his fourth glass of wine for the evening.

“So, thank you, everyone, for joining us tonight. Mandy and I really appreciate it, especially my Philly crew and, of course, Mandy’s best friend Carolyn, who made the journey from PA as well. To all the North Dakotans, we appreciate you, too. Just not as much.” He paused while the crowd laughed, then looked down at his fiancée. “When I met Mandy, this was pretty much the last thing I expected. Most of you know, some more than others, that our start was… rocky. But getting to know her and raising Brian together has been one of the most incredible things I’ve ever experienced. Watching him grow up is beyond words, and Mandy couldn’t be a better mom. My life has turned out so different than I ever thought it would be…”

Dennis trailed off and looked at the guests, locking eyes with Mac. “There was... a path I was on. Before I met Mandy. I’m almost sure I would’ve continued down that path had I not met her. A path that would’ve lead me where I’d always planned on going. But then, there was a fork. In my path. And I took it. And it lead me here. To a family. To North Dakota. To this wedding.”

“Dennis,” Mandy said quietly, and gently touched his wrist. He knew what that meant. He was getting off track and needed to recenter. He suddenly realized that the crowd was starting to look confused.

“Anyway,” he said, shaking his head. “Sorry, these waiters keep refilling my wine and I kind of forgot where I was going with that.” The crowd laughed, and the tension was broken.  “What I’m trying to say, is… sometimes life doesn’t work out like you’d thought it would, or as you planned. But that can end up being good.” Dennis smiled at Mandy and put a hand on her shoulder, squeezing once. "Really good.”

“To unexpected happiness,” Mandy said, raising her glass.

“To unexpected happiness,” everyone repeated.

As Dennis sat down, he saw Mac and Justin delicately clink their glasses together, take a sip and lean in for a kiss. He turned to Mandy and did the same.

“You okay, honey?” Mandy asked him quietly when he pulled back.

“Yeah,” Dennis said with a smile. “Just a little drunk. I’m fine.”

Mandy glanced at Mac and Justin, then back at Dennis. “You sure?”

“Positive, babe. I'll get a good sleep tonight.”

He leaned in to kiss her again, then signaled to the waiters to start serving the entrées.

* * *

“So what’s up with this fuckin’ Justin character?” Dennis slurred to his sister.

The two of them sat alone at the hotel bar. It was just past 11PM and the rest of the guests either retired to their rooms and homes or, in his friends’ case, hit a local bar.

“What do you mean what’s up with him?” Dee asked, then sipped her rum and Coke, laughing to herself about how low Dennis’s tolerance for alcohol had become. Aside from the wine at dinner, he was only on his second beer. That was nothing compared to how he used to throw ‘em back.

“I mean, what’s up with him? What is he like? Why is he here?”

“He’s actually really goddamn cool,” Dee said, ignoring Dennis’s third question. “Funny, smart, makes a mean margarita. He helps out around the bar for free when he’s not at work. To be honest, I’m not sure why he puts up with Mac, even though he is a lot more tolerable now that he’s not bottling up all that Catholic guilt. Also, Justin's hot as shit, which is great for me.”

“He’s not that hot,” Dennis mumbled.

“You haven’t seen him with his shirt off,” Dee said. “Hot as  _shit_.”

“Whatever. Why is he here?” Dennis repeated, taking a swig of his beer.

Dee gave him a confused look. “Because he’s Mac’s boyfriend and he wanted to come with.”

“Boyfriend,” Dennis repeated. “They barely know each other.”

“They only met a few months ago. Why do you give a shit? It’s not like they’re the ones getting married.”

“I don’t give a shit about them,” Dennis insisted. “I don’t give a shit about  _Mac_."

“Sure you don’t,” Dee said, more to herself than to her twin.

Dennis polished off the rest of his beer, then declared, “I don’t like him.”

“None of us like Mac.”

“No, you stupid idiot, Justin,” Dennis said, holding up a hand when the bartender offered him another beer. He had already had too much. Thankfully, tomorrow’s festivities weren’t until later in the day. “I don’t like him.”

“You literally have had one conversation with the guy that lasted about twenty seconds,” Dee countered.

“Still,” Dennis said. “I can tell. He’s a piece of shit.”

Dee laughed once. “Dennis, he’s not a piece of shit. You’d like him if you gave him a chance. Why are you being so weird about it?”

“I’m not weird. I just don’t like him.”

“Yeah, I heard you the first nine hundred fucking times.”

Dennis snorted and rolled his eyes. “I don’t."

After a few long moments, Dee carefully asked, “Are you sure you don't like  _him_? Or do you not like that he's not  _you_?"

Dennis looked over at her, eyebrows raised. "What the shit are you talking about?"

“You know what I’m talking about.”

“No, you unnecessarily coy bitch, I really don’t.”

Dee gave Dennis a sad smile, then stood up and threw back the rest of her drink. "Mac moved on, Den. It's time for you to do the same.”

“Move on from what?” Dennis said as Dee started to walk away.

"Go get some sleep," she called without turning around. "You're getting married tomorrow."

"Move on from what?" he yelled again.

Dee waved a hand over her shoulder as she turned the corner toward the elevator. After a long, stunned moment, Dennis scoffed and stood up.

“Whatever, you fuckin’ ugly bird,” he said to the empty barstool next to him, then began the slow, stumbling walk to the hotel room where he was staying for his last night as an unmarried man.

* * *

_Dennis woke up to someone pounding on his hotel door. Groggily, he slid out of bed and stumbled over to answer it. He swung the door open, and there was Mac, eyes red and mouth pulled down in a frown._

_“Can I come in?” he asked._

_“I’m sleeping,” Dennis said._

_“You’re standing up.”_

_“Fine, I_ was _sleeping, asshole.”_

_Mac flinched at the insult. “Can I please come in?"_

_Dennis groaned and stepped aside, allowing Mac into his hotel room. The other man shuffled through and sat down on Dennis’s bed._

_“What do you want?” Dennis asked, crossing his arms and standing in front of Mac._

_“Don’t do this,” Mac said, looking at Dennis’s feet._

_“What?”_

_Mac lifted his head to look Dennis in the eye. “Don’t marry her.”_

_“Not this shit again."_

_“You don’t have to marry her to be Brian’s dad, dude. Please, just… don’t do this.”_

_“Why not, Mac?” Dennis asked, even though he already knew the answer._

_“So we can be–”_

_“We’re never going to be together, Mac,” Dennis said. “Why can’t you get that through your skull?"_

_“If you’d just give me a chance, Den, you’d see that–“_

_“I can’t give you a_ chance _, Mac,” Dennis said with a sigh, sitting down next to Mac on the bed. “Even if I wanted to, it’s too late for that.”_

_"Do you want to?" Mac whispered._

_"It doesn't matter," Dennis said, then repeated, "It's too late."_

_“It’s not too late,” Mac argued._

_“My wedding is in…” Dennis looked at the digital clock on the nightstand that flashed 5:12AM. “Twelve hours. And you have a boyfriend.”_

_Instead of saying anything, Mac brought a hand up to Dennis’s cheek and slowly leaned in. Dennis jerked back, swatting Mac’s hand away._

_“Dude, you gotta cut this shit out,” Dennis said softly as Mac flushed bright red._

_“I can’t help it, Dennis,” Mac said. “You shouldn’t be with her.”_

_“But I am with her,” Dennis said. “And you’re with what’s his name.”_

_“You know his name, man."_

_“Yeah, I do, because he’s five rooms away from us right now. And that’s where you need to be because I need to fucking go back to sleep.”_

_Mac sighed, stood up and walked to the door without saying a word. He paused before reaching for the handle, then echoed, “It’s not too late.”_

_“Go to sleep, Mac,” Dennis said, but he was already gone. He laid down on his bed and rolled onto his stomach, burying his face in the too hard hotel pillow._

_It wasn’t too late._

* * *

A cell phone rang and Dennis’s eyes shot open, immediately closing again when they were assaulted with blinding sunlight. His head was pounding and he stupidly wished he hadn’t drank so much, then realized after a few moments that his goddamn phone was still goddamn ringing. Dennis had never hated hearing a Steve Winwood song until this moment. He groped around the nightstand until he found it, then saw a photo of Dee smiling back at him.

“Fuck you,” Dennis said as he picked up the call, in lieu of a proper hello.

“Good morning to you, too!” Dee said, and Dennis quickly clicked the volume down as low as possible. “I’m guessing you’re a little hungover?”

Dennis grunted and rolled over onto his back, then threw an arm over his closed eyes.

“Well, lucky for you, I broke into your room this morning after I woke up. There’s aspirin and water on your nightstand.”

Dennis cracked open an eye and saw that she had, indeed, placed three pills and a bottle of water next to the clock which read 10:32AM.

“Shit,” he mumbled. “I overslept.”

“Oh, thank you, Dee, for being so lovely and considerate and making my wedding day a fucking breeze,” she said, her tone too sarcastic for how little coffee Dennis had in his system.

“Thanks, bitch.”

Dee laughed, and the sound was like nails on a chalkboard. “Take the painkillers and go down to breakfast. Charlie is gonna help me run some last minute errands, but Mac is gonna stick around since the food is free. Eat something. I’ll call you when it’s time to head to the church to get ready, okay?”

“Okay,” Dennis said, then hung up before she could squawk anything else at him.

* * *

_Dennis walked into the hotel’s restaurant to see Mac sitting alone at the table, happily working his way through a heaping plate of nearly everything the buffet had to offer. Dennis walked slowly along the spread, arranging a smaller meal consisting mostly of fruits and cereal. He didn’t want to look bloated or blotchy in his wedding photos._

_“Hey, Mac,” Dennis said as he sat down on the other side of the table._

_“Dennis! Hi!” Mac replied through a mouthful of questionable scrambled eggs._

_“Swallow your fucking food before you talk, Mac.”_

_Mac smiled around doing so and Dennis rolled his eyes._

_“Sleep well?” Mac asked._

_“Not really,” Dennis said. “I’m fucking hungover, to tell you the truth. I was kind of an idiot last night with everything that’s happening today."_

_“Right,” Mac said slowly, his face falling a bit. “Today’s the day.”_

_“Indeed it is,” Dennis said, then popped a rather anemic strawberry in his mouth._

_“In a few hours, you’ll be…”_

_“Married,” Dennis nearly whispered._

_Mac put down his fork and looked at the table, then softly repeated, “Married.” With that, he stood up and grabbed his plate._

_“You done already?” Dennis asked, eyeing the mountain of food Mac had left._

_“Not really hungry,” Mac lied. “I’m just gonna go back to my room and take a shower.”_

_“Okay,” Dennis said, but Mac was already walking away._

* * *

“Dennis!” an unfamiliar voice called as he entered the hotel restaurant. He turned to look and immediately tensed. Justin continued, “We’re over here!”

Dennis gave them a small wave and walked over to the table. Both men were working their way through mountains of breakfast food. “Morning,” he said.

“Sit down, Den,” Mac said, and Dennis complied with an exaggerated sigh at his friend’s trademark bossiness.

“We got you coffee,” Justin said, sliding a styrofoam cup over to Dennis. “Should still be hot.”

“Black, two sugars,” Mac said before Dennis could lift off the top to inspect his drink.

“You remembered,” Dennis said.

Mac smiled. “Dude, I’ve been making you coffee since we were in high school.”

“True,” Dennis said, then took a sip. It was perfect, as Mac’s coffee always was.

"So, today's the day!" Mac said, smiling around a mouthful of food.

"Indeed it is," Dennis answered.

He was about to chastise Mac for talking while chewing, but Justin beat him to the punch with a soft, "Swallow your food, babe."  Mac waggled an eyebrow at Justin as he made a show of swallowing and Dennis tightened his grip on his cup of coffee.

"Well, I'm excited," Mac said once he was allowed to speak again. "Last time we went to a wedding it was a shitshow."

"What happened?" Justin asked.

"It was fucking crazy," Mac said. "His ex-wife Maureen was marrying a McPoyle."

“Those gross guys who own the video store?"

"Yeah, it was the one who's missing an eye."

"Which is our fault," Dennis chimed in. "Sort of."

"It totally is," Mac said. "And then Maureen's brother put bath salts in the milk which turned everyone into zombies, so we locked Dee in a freezer, then Dennis banged his ex for some reason."

"You know exactly the reason," Dennis interjected.

"What was it?" Justin asked.

"Boob job," Mac replied. "They were fucking enormous. Like, seriously distracting. But she still had that dead tooth."

"Can we move past it?" Dennis said, regretting pressing the subject in the first place.

Mac laughed. "Anyway, then we all got arrested and Maureen had to bail us out."

"I swear, sometimes I think you're making this shit up, babe," Justin said, smiling as he looked back and forth between the two men.

"Oh, he's not," Dennis assured him. "That all one hundred percent happened. Luckily, this time I'm supposed to fuck the bride."

Mac laughed, but Justin didn't, which bothered Dennis more than it should have. He opened his mouth to continue the story, but Justin's phone pinged with a text. He picked it up, quickly tapped out a reply, then put it back down.

"Who was that?" Mac asked, then shoveled another bite of eggs into his mouth.

“Sweet Dee,” Justin said, and Dennis bristled as the use of the nickname he had invented when they were kids.

“What’d she say?”

“She asked if Dennis came down to breakfast.”

“Why wouldn’t she just text me?” Dennis asked, unnecessarily annoyed that Dee was turning to this stranger instead of her own brother.

“She knew I need to keep my ringer on for work so I’d see it right away since you’re, and I quote, ‘the fucking worst at answering texts.’”

“Maybe if she wasn’t such a goddamn bitch, I’d answer her texts more promptly,” Dennis said, taking another sip of his coffee.

Justin raised an eyebrow at the insult and Mac shook his head. “That means he loves her.”

“I do not,” Dennis replied, rolling his eyes.

Then, Mac's phone rang and he quickly looked at the cracked screen. "Shit, it's Charlie. I gotta take this."

With that, he stood up, leaving Dennis and Justin alone. It was awkward for a few moments until Justin broke the silence. "Good call on that bar last night, man. My brother came out for a drink too. We had a great time."

"Oh, cool," Dennis said. "I love that place."

"And the redhead bartender was super cute."

Dennis raised a confused eyebrow. "I didn't know they had dude bartenders there."

"No, man, the chick. Something with an M?"

"Michaela," Dennis said, immediately knowing exactly which redhead. "She works with Mandy when the sun is up."

"Yeah, Michaela." Justin whistled. "Smokeshow."

"Totally," Dennis agreed, then carefully continued. "But, uh... aren't you... gay?"

Justin smiled. "Nah, bi."

"Oh," Dennis said, sipping his coffee and guessing idly about what Mac thought of that. He'd oft made it known that he felt bisexuality was synonymous with confused, but Dennis suspected that had more to do with the internalized homophobia than any actual animosity.

It was awkward for another moment, Dennis not sure how to continue, Justin not-so-subtly looking over his shoulder for Mac’s return. Dennis wondered just how much Justin knew. Had Mac told him about what happened the last time Dennis was in Philly? Was he aware that Mac had been in love with Dennis for decades? Did he know that once upon a time, Dennis could have felt the same way?  Or was Justin completely clueless to their complicated history?  Dennis wasn’t sure which scenario he preferred.

"Well," Dennis said after what seemed like an eon of avoiding eye contact with the man sitting across from him. "I'm gonna go grab some food."

"Good call, man," Justin said, relief tinging his voice as Dennis stood up.

He walked slowly over to the buffet and arranged a plate for himself. He could hear Mandy in his head as he scooped eggs and hashbrowns, just like he always heard her when he was around food. She'd told him countless times that he needed to eat so he could stay healthy for Brian, and that a proper meal wouldn't make him look bloated or unattractive. He actually looked more attractive, she'd said, when he wasn't combining skipped meals with excessive exercise and his face didn’t have the hollow, carved structure he strived for. He wasn't sure if he believed her, but he filled his plate anyway, knowing it’s what she’d want.

When he turned back toward his table, he saw that Mac had returned. He was sitting closer to Justin than he'd been before, carding one hand through his boyfriend's shaggy hair while they both laughed at some private joke. Rather than going back to the table, Dennis poured himself a new cup of coffee and brought his breakfast to his hotel room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shoutout to my newfound Bojack Horseman addiction for Carolyn’s name. Part Two coming as soon as the library where I work (sorry Dennis) lets me live.
> 
> Also, it was super chill of my man Harry Styles to write [From the Dining Table](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ZxF_nA1SxQ) about this fic. I appreciate it.


	7. Epilogue, Part Two – Reception

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "I guess we grew up."
> 
> "Only took us forty years."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Good lord, this really got away from me.
> 
> There are a lot of songs mentioned later on. The titles will be Youtube links because they’re all amazing, kind of plot-related and should be listened to since I, like Dennis, refuse to leave the 1980s.

“Will you please relax?” Dee said, shooting her brother a harsh look. “You’re driving me nuts."

“I’m sorry,” Dennis said, trying to still the knee that wouldn’t stop bouncing. “I’m nervous.”

He, his sister and his son were alone in a room in the back of the church, waiting for the ceremony to begin. It was a Sunday School room, Dennis presumed, judging by the cluster of desks and blackboard mounted on the wall. He sat atop what must’ve been the teacher’s desk, Brian on his lap fiddling with one of the toys he’d found in the corner of the room.

“Don’t be,” Dee said from her place perched on one of the small desks.

Dennis rolled his eyes. “Oh, thanks, sis. ‘Don’t be.’ That really helps.”

She waited until Brian turned his head then stuck her middle finger up at Dennis. He mouthed _bitch_ and she laughed.

“I wish we weren’t in this GD _church_ ,” he said, censoring himself for his son’s sake. “It gives me the creeps.”

"It was important to Mandy,” she reminded him. “She’s been coming here every week for years.”

“I know,” Dennis said. “It’s just weird. I’m getting high school flashbacks.”

“Dennis, we skipped services and smoked weed under the bleachers in high school.”

“We went to a few,” he argued.

“Yeah, stoned.”

Dennis laughed. “Perks of having good ol’ Ronnie under my thumb.”

“It was convenient,” she agreed. “He really did do anything we said.”

“Anything _I_ said.”

“Six of one,” she said with a dismissive wave of her hand as she glanced around the room. “Remember when Mom tried to send us to Sunday School?”

“And we got kicked out the third week for asking too many questions,” he said. “Yeah, I remember.”

“Then Mom called me a heathen and said I was going to Hell. You seemed to be fine, though.”

“Because she was the very picture of Christianity,” Dennis said, rolling his eyes.

Dee smiled. “I think we turned out pretty well without it.”

“Well, I did,” Dennis argued. “I got my stuff together. You’re still a single, drunk w-h-o-r-e.”

“I’ve got my stuff together,” she said defensively. “And I’m not single.”

“Are you banging the soldier again?” he asked with a raised eyebrow.

“No,” she said. “I have a boyfriend.”

Dennis scoffed. “Please. Who in the F would date you?”

“I’ve dated plenty of guys!” she squawked.

“What’s his name?” Dennis asked.

“I’m not telling you,” she said. "We’re keeping it low-key."

"Whatever you say,” he mumbled, then looked at the clock on the wall. It was 3:24PM.

“Joe should be here any second,” Dee said, following Dennis’s gaze to the clock.

“Actually, he’s here now,” Mandy’s twin brother said, poking his head in the door.

“Hey, Joe,” Dennis said as he stood up and passed Brian off to Dee. “We ready to go?”

“Ready to go,” he repeated.

As they walked through the halls of the church, Dennis was sure his heartbeat was audible. It was practically drowning out his own thoughts. He knew he was doing the right thing. So why was he so… unsteady? After what felt like miles, they finally reached the altar.

It was a small, unconventional wedding party. Dennis stood on his own, leaving a space behind him for his sister and son. Joe stood opposite him beside where Mandy would be any moment, holding the rings. He looked out into the pews and saw the rest of the gang sitting together in the first row, across the aisle from Mandy’s family. Justin’s hand was firmly wrapped around Mac’s, and Dennis wondered again if he really knew what was going on. Before he could fixate on it, the organ began to fill the church with [ Pachelbel’s Canon in D](https://youtu.be/ukA2xvsA1qg?t=15s).

Dee came through the back doors of the church with Brian on her hip. Even Dennis could admit she looked beautiful in the simple blue dress that matched his tie and both of their eyes, a small daisy tucked behind her ear. She was beaming as she walked down the aisle with her nephew, and Dennis had to resist the urge to roll his eyes. Of course that bitch would try to make his wedding about her need for attention.

Brian reached out for Dennis as Dee took her place by his side, and Dennis turned to grab his small hand.

“Hey, buddy,” he said softly. “You ready for this?”

The crowd rose as Mandy walked into the church on her mother’s arm. Her father left when she was young, Dennis had learned one night when they’d split a bottle of wine and spilled their hearts out. It turned out a shitty dad was one of the many things they had in common. It was part of why she’d been so patient with him as they became a family. He was trying, she'd said, and that was the most important thing.

He was stunned as he looked Mandy up and down. She wore a white lace sundress and her hair cascaded around her face in long, loose curls. Her eyes lit up as her red lips split into a smile and he was so glad they’d decided to go with tradition. Seeing her for the first time as she approached him was exactly the overwhelming distraction he needed at the moment.

She gave her mother a kiss on the cheek, then took Dennis’s hand as she stepped up onto the altar. She reached behind him to hold Brian’s cheek in her hand for a moment, then handed her bouquet of daisies off to her brother before turning to face her almost-husband.

“Hi,” she whispered as they joined hands.

“You look beautiful,” he replied, and the blush that spread across her face only made his statement truer.

“Friends, we are gathered here today…” the priest began, but Dennis couldn’t pay attention.

The initial bewilderment at seeing Mandy walk down the aisle had begun to fade and for the first time in years, he had butterflies in his stomach. Dennis had never been one to fear the unknown. His philosophy had mostly been whatever happens, happens, and he’d deal with it as it came. Now, he was about to have a family, start a future. He’d made a life with Mandy and their son, but it hadn’t really felt _real_ until this moment. It was terrifying. And exhilarating. And about twelve other feelings Dennis didn’t have words for. He felt like he might throw up, but in a good way, maybe.

“Now, let us pray,” the priest said, and thankfully Dennis heard that.

As the rest of the church closed their eyes and bowed their heads, Dennis looked over his shoulder at Dee and rolled his eyes. She smiled as she swatted him on the shoulder then jerked her head toward the photographer who was happily snapping away. Dennis quickly bowed his head and hoped he hadn’t been caught. Mandy knew he wasn’t a religious person, but he worked hard to respect her beliefs. He left his eyes open as the priest lead the prayer, willing his mind to stop racing.

The rest of the ceremony was a blur. Mandy’s best friend Carolyn read a verse from Corinthians and some members of Mandy’s family lit candles for… some reason. Things moved along quickly, which Dennis was grateful for. Mandy’s first wedding ceremony had apparently been very long and very Catholic, and she’d told Dennis she wanted to get this one the heck over with and be married already. He’d very much agreed.

Before long, he, Dennis was vowing to take her, Mandy, to be his lawfully wedded wife, to have and to hold, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and health, as long as they both shall live. His hands shook as he slid the ring onto her finger. Mandy repeated her part of the vows, with an added bit about God, then gently wrapped Dennis’s hand in her own. She looked him in the eyes as she put the ring on his finger, that same soft, reassuring look she’d given him so many times. It was easier to breathe with her holding his hand, but his new accessory felt like it weighed a thousand pounds.

They were declared man and wife, and Dennis leaned in to kiss the bride. He could hear his friends and family clapping as the pipe organ began to blare [ Mendelssohn's Wedding March](https://youtu.be/p5j54TevpQc?t=6s). Mandy’s smile was blinding when they pulled back, and he was sure his expression mirrored hers.

* * *

_Dennis looked out across the crowd just in time to see a suited figure with dark hair storming out of the church. A few guests were looking around at each other and back at the door, clearly confused about the exit. Dennis frowned slightly and looked down at the front pew. Justin was leaning toward Charlie and Frank, clearly bewildered. Mac was nowhere to be seen._

_Dennis could just barely make out the conversation between the three men._

_“What was that about?” Justin asked._

_Charlie glanced over his shoulder then turned to Frank, completely ignoring Justin’s question. “I’m gonna go see if I can talk to him.”_

_“You sure?” Frank asked._

_“He’s my best friend,” Charlie said simply._

_Frank nodded as Charlie stood up and jogged out of the church, moving around the side of the room rather than straight down the aisle as Mac had._

_“Frank, can you please explain what’s going on?” Justin asked again, looking over his shoulder then up at Dennis._

_Frank laughed once. “How much time you got, kid?”_

* * *

“Congratulations Dennis!” Mac yelled, clapping wildly as the couple began to step down from the aisle.

“Congratulations!” Charlie yelled as well, then reached over Mac to slap Dennis on the shoulder as he walked by.

“Thanks, guys,” Dennis said, quickly high-fiving both of them before Mandy pulled him along.

As the duo made their way out of the church, Dennis heard Mac and Charlie continue to whoop and holler, and he could see a few of Mandy’s more conservative relatives shooting him looks. The crowd filtered out of the church with them while they climbed into the limo Frank had insisted on renting to take them to and from the reception, despite the drive being no more than five minutes.

Mac put a hand on the limo door, poked his head inside with a wicked grin and said, “Don’t forget to zip his fly back up, Mandy.”

Before Dennis could reply, Mac winked, shut the door and pounded once on the trunk, signaling the driver to take off.

“Sorry, Mac's an idiot,” Dennis said as the car began to drive away.

Mandy laughed once and carded her hand through Dennis’s hair. “Maybe we shoulda picked a venue that was farther away.”

“Maybe we should’ve,” Dennis agreed, leaning in to kiss her.

Mandy quickly dissolved into excited laughter and they pulled apart.

“We’re married,” Mandy said with a smile, then reached up to wipe her lipstick off Dennis’s mouth with her thumb.

He pouted his lips to press a kiss to the tip of her finger. “That we are.”

She leaned over to kiss him again, and Dennis felt the nervous, unsteady butterflies that were still inhabiting his stomach begin to quell.

* * *

“Ladies and gentlemen, Mr. and Mrs. Dennis and Mandy Reynolds!”

The crowd cheered once more as the new couple swept into the reception hall. Dennis lead Mandy to the dance floor as [ I Want to Know What Love Is](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=raNGeq3_DtM) began to play. He placed one hand on the small of her back and wrapped the other around her own. She wrapped an arm around his neck as they began to sway to the music.

Dennis could see stars in Mandy’s eyes and, if he was being honest, he wasn’t sure why. He’d yet to figure out why this kind, sweet, gorgeous woman hadn’t left him yet. It was in part due to Brian, of course, but she seemed to genuinely love him. It was a baffling concept. The song built to its chorus and as Lou Gramm sang about facing heartache and pain, changing his lonely life and begging an unnamed woman to show him what love is, Dennis could relate. In their time together, Mandy had done exactly that. He hadn’t said it to her in so many words, but he was sure she understood why he’d chosen this song. He kissed her as it came to a close, and their guests broke into another round of applause.

“I love you,” she said quietly, then squeezed his hand.

“I love _you_ ,” he answered, and the last of the butterflies seemed to melt away for the time being.

The pair sat at their table at the head of the reception hall, and Mandy’s brother stood up to make a toast as the waiters began serving the entrées.

* * *

It was just past 9PM and the reception was still in full swing. Everything was going off without a hitch, and it was the first time since he moved that Dennis was able to drink as much as he wanted, guilt-free. He’d gotten to know the men running the open bar fairly well as the evening progressed.

He sat at his table, watching the crowd move to the music. Mandy was dancing with a group of the women she worked with and Mac and Justin were jumping around each other like idiots, off beat as [ Every Little Thing She Does is Magic ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aENX1Sf3fgQ) filled the room. Mac was all elbows, as usual, and Dennis didn’t understand why Justin seemed to enjoy that. The DJ faded into [ Heaven is a Place on Earth ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NOGEyBeoBGM) and Justin grabbed Mac’s hand, using his fist as a microphone to lip sync the near-a cappella intro. Mac laughed and they both went back to their hopeless flailing as the instrumental kicked in.

“You’re staring,” Dee said as she sat down next to him.

“Huh?”

“At Mac. You’re staring.”

Dennis looked at his sister and took a swig of his beer. “No I wasn’t.”

She rolled her eyes and tried to swipe the beer away from him. Before she could grab it, he slapped her hand and she recoiled. “Get your own.”

“Dick.”

They both looked back out at the dance floor for a moment.

“Mac seems happy,” Dennis commented, his tone flat.

“You say that like it’s a bad thing.”

“It’s not,” Dennis assured her. “It’s just. Strange.”

“Why is it strange?” she asked. “Were you expecting him to be miserable and pining for you or something?”

“No,” Dennis lied. After a few moments, he quietly asked, “You really think he’s over me?”

“Are you fucking serious?” she said with a short laugh.

“Dee,” Dennis said, looking her in the eyes. “Please.”

She sighed. “Yeah, asshole. He is. He said that meeting other guys after you left and ending up with Justin, he’s not sure if it was _you_ or if it was just because you were _there_.”

Dennis was stunned. “He told _you_ this?”

“He told Charlie after a shitload of tequila.”

“And Charlie told you?”

She shrugged. “Charlie and I talk.”

“Since when?”

“Whatever,” she said quickly. “Even if he wasn’t over you, Dennis, it doesn’t matter now. You’re married. He has a boyfriend. We all knew you got off on controlling him as much as he got off on you.”

“I did not _get off_ –”

“But it’s over. He’s not your little puppy dog anymore.”

As much as he hated to admit it, she was right. He did love the power he'd had over Mac for so long. All he had to do was get in Mac’s space, touch him, then whisper a few compliments and Mac was putty in his hands, jumping before Dennis could say how high. It was thrilling, even after decades of doing so. No one else had as much pure control over Mac as Dennis did.

To say he "got off" on it seemed a bit much, though. Sure, there were times Dennis could hear Mac lurking outside his bedroom door when he was banging some chick, and maybe once or twice that had made Dennis kick up the volume. It was possible that, on a few occasions, Dennis had heard his name between ragged breaths and muffled moans on the other side of Mac’s very thin door on late night trips to the fridge, and, yeah, it was usually accompanied by a weird urge to walk in and show Mac that whatever he was imagining was nowhere near as good as the real thing. Not that he’d ever admit it to his sister, but he did go in, once, when he was still drunk from too many shots with a group of college chicks who’d stumbled into Paddy’s. He feigned innocence and asked Mac if he’d called his name, pretending not to notice what was happening under the blankets. Mac said no in a strained voice and Dennis lingered in the doorway until he could see Mac squirm, on edge and unable to move. He purred _goodnight, baby_ and heard Mac come moments after he closed the door.

Okay. Fine. He got off on it. A little. But that wasn’t as bad as what Mac had been doing.

“Don’t fuck this up for him, Dennis,” Dee said, pulling him from his reverie. “He’s in a good place.”

He finished off the beer in front of him. “You sure?”

“I’m sure,” she said. “You should go talk to him.”

Dennis considered it, then was interrupted by the chair next to Dee sliding away from the table.

"Here you go, sweetie," Charlie said, handing Dee a beer as he sat down next to her. She thanked him with a pat on the hand.

“What are we talkin’ about?” Charlie asked as he got settled. “You two look serious as shit.”

“That night you got Mac wasted on tequila.”

“Ah,” Charlie said, leaning back in his chair and slinging an arm across the back of Dee’s. “ _That_ night.”

Dennis rolled his eyes.

“He’s in a good place, bro,” Charlie said, echoing Dee’s statement as if the two of them had come to that agreement together.

"Hang on,” Dennis said, eyeing Charlie suspiciously. “Did you call her _sweetie_ just now?"

Charlie looked like a deer in the headlights and quickly pulled his arm back to his side. "I said Sweet Dee."

"He said Sweet Dee," she repeated quickly, giving Charlie a pointed look.

Dennis paused. "Whatever. I need another beer."

He watched them out of the corner of his eye as he walked toward the bar. Charlie slid his arm back across Dee’s chair and she said something that made him laugh much too hard for anything _Dee_ could come up with. She kept talking and he kept smiling, and before Dennis could think anything of it, he was interrupted by Frank.

“Yo! What's Mandy's mom's name?" Frank asked, cutting him off on his way to the bar. "She told me but I can't remember and I don't wanna ask her."

"Amelia," Dennis replied. "Why?"

"Amelia," Frank repeated, drawing out the vowel sounds, and Dennis cringed. "I'm workin' an angle."

"Like hell you are," Dennis said, then continued walking to the bar as [ You’re the Inspiration](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=psDH37cflG8) came through the speakers.

"What's her deal?" Frank asked, trailing behind him.

"What's her _deal_?" Dennis repeated, then ordered a beer from the bartender.

"Yeah, her deal. Is she good to go? Down to clown?"

"Oh, fuck off," Dennis spat.

"You fuck off," Frank said. " _She_ is _hot_. And she’s been talkin’ to me all night.”

“She’s talking to you because she thinks you’re my father,” Dennis said. “She’s being polite.”

“Polite my ass,” Frank scoffed. "Weddings are a perfect place to plow!"

"You are not _plowing_ anyone, you goddamn disgusting animal," Dennis said as they walked away. "Especially not my mother-in-law."

"I plowed your whore mother plenty of times," Frank said, still trailing behind. "Might as well make it two for two."

"Christ, gross, Frank!" Dennis yelled. “I don’t want to think about– Ugh! Stop following me. And leave Mandy's mom alone.”

“Whatever, dick,” Frank said, then waddled off mumbling _shabooya roll call_ under his breath.

Dennis looked back at the dance floor and saw Justin slow dancing with Mandy. It annoyed him more than it should’ve, but he realized after a few moments that Mac was nowhere to be found. Dennis turned around just in time to see him ducking out the back door onto the reception hall’s balcony. He walked quickly to the door before anyone else could interrupt him, not wanting to miss this opportunity to get Mac alone.

"Hey, you," Dennis called as he pushed open the door.

Dennis saw Mac reach up to wipe something off his face before turning his head. “Hey."

"Not enjoying the party?"

"I needed a break," Mac said, then lit a cigarette as Dennis approached him. "The DJ is driving me insane. Did you tell him to only play bad '80s music?"

"No, Mandy and I told him only to play the _awesome_ '80s music that we both love."

Mac groaned. "It's like the '80s threw up in there. It’s too much."

"What kind of music would you prefer?" Dennis asked, then took a swig of the beer in his hand as he leaned against the balcony railing.

Mac turned and blew smoke in Dennis's face. "Would it matter?"

"Not at all," Dennis confirmed with a smirk, then asked, "Can I bum one?"

"I thought you quit when you moved," Mac said, fishing the pack out of his pocket.

Dennis shrugged. "Old habits."

Mac accepted this and held the pack out to Dennis. He slid one cigarette out and placed it between his lips, almost sighing at familiar feeling of relief.

"Since when do _you_ smoke, man?" Dennis asked as he placed the near empty pack on the balcony.

Mac held up his lighter and Dennis leaned into the flame, inhaling as it flicked at the end of the tube. "I don't know. A while."

"A while?" Dennis repeated.

Mac nodded while he inhaled and put his lighter next to the pack, then quietly said, "Pretty much since you left."

It didn't take Dennis long to connect the dots of the cigarette smell Mac had always complained about turning into something that reminded him of Dennis.

“Yo, what's with the sudden '80s hate?" Dennis asked, changing the subject to spare them both the embarrassment. "You loved when I played this shit at our place or in the car."

Mac laughed once and rolled his eyes. "The music wasn't really what I loved, Den."

It took Dennis a moment to understand what Mac meant. Once it dawned on him, he wondered what else Mac had feigned interest in to impress him. He hoped it wasn't much, but before he could ask, a new song started inside.

"Dude, is this fucking a-ha?" Mac asked.

"Goddamn right it is," Dennis said.

"It's not even Take On Me."

Dennis scoffed. "[The Sun Always Shines on TV ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a3ir9HC9vYg) is a far superior song, Mac."

Mac gave an exaggerated groan and dropped his head to the balcony.

"Can I ask you something, man?" Dennis said carefully, taking advantage of Mac's silence.

"Shoot," Mac replied, straightening back up.

Dennis took a drag on his cigarette to stall. "How, uh. How've you been? Since... everything that happened. Last time we were together."

Mac shrugged. "I'm good."

“You’re good?" Dennis repeated. "I just gave you an in to talk about your feelings and you hit me with, 'I'm good?'"

Mac laughed, but it quickly subsided. "Fine. It sucked, Dennis. It fucking sucked to find out you were engaged and then hear you tell me that maybe... Yeah. It hurt like hell."

"I'm sorry," Dennis said quietly.

"Don't be," Mac said. "You were being honest, which was good. But I'm... I'm good now. Really good. I miss having you around, but you being far away made things easier. And Justin helped."

Dennis nodded. "How much does he know?"

"Enough," Mac said with another shrug. "He knows I used to... have feelings for you."

Dennis tried to ignore the sting that came with  _used to_. "And he's okay with it?"

"He came to your wedding, didn't he?" Dennis nodded once, and Mac continued, "I think he knows he's kind of a rebound, but he's sweet. And he's fucking hot."

"He's not _that_ hot," Dennis said, echoing his sentiments from the night before.

"He really is, man. And the best blowjob I've ever had."

Dennis snorted, then stubbed out his cigarette. "Only cuz you never got one from me."

"Uh," Mac started, slowly raising an eyebrow. "Is that an offer?"

Dennis rolled his eyes as he took a swig of beer, then slid another cigarette between his lips. "In your dreams, bro."

"Not so much anymore," Mac said as he took the last cigarette from the pack.

Dennis frowned a bit as Mac lit them both up. They exhaled simultaneously, and both watched as the smoke drifted off with the cool night breeze and up to the stars.

"So you're really, like, _dating_ this guy?" Dennis asked.

"Yup."

"Like an actual relationship? He's your boyfriend?"

"Sure," Mac said, then paused to exhale. "We're not in love, but we have a good time. We were mostly just banging at first, but now we go out and he hangs at Paddy's and stays at my place a lot, so, yeah. I guess he's my boyfriend. New place, by the way."

"Oh," Dennis said, feeling a sudden wave of sadness. He didn't like knowing that he'd probably never see the apartment he'd made so many fond memories in again. He wondered why Mac hadn't told him sooner, but it explained why their last two monthly Skype dinners had been in the back office at the bar. "Where at?"

"Close to Paddy's, actually. Like a five minute walk down Dickinson. It's a shitty studio, but I have a bathroom and a real bed, so it's not as shitty as Charlie's. Dee helped me decorate so I didn’t make it look like, and I quote, ‘a solitary confinement cell for a Catholic guy on the brink of suicide.’"

"That's awesome, dude."

"Yeah, I like it. Justin does too."

"Oh, well if Justin likes it," Dennis said, the sentence not coming out as playfully as he'd intended.

"Shut up," Mac mumbled.

"It's just... weird, dude. In all the years I’ve known you, you never wanted to date anyone you were banging before."

Mac looked at him as if it was the most obvious thing in the world and blew another huff of smoke into his face. "Because they were girls, Dennis."

He laughed softly. "Good point. It just seems unlike you."

"Not really," Mac said. "I always wanted to be with... someone. I just wouldn't let myself because of the whole thinking I'd be burning in Hell for eternity if I admitted I was gay thing."

Dennis gave him a low whistle. "You've become awfully self-aware."

"Yeah, well,” Mac said, bashfully looking down at his feet. “Justin helped with that, too."

Dennis smiled, and said in earnest, "I'm glad you're not bottling all that shit up anymore."

"Yeah, it’s better," Mac agreed. "We met at church, so he knew where I was coming from with the self-loathing."

"You met him at church," Dennis said. "And now he's your  _boyfriend_. If you'd told me that five years ago..."

"Says you!" Mac said. "You had an entire dresser full of sex tapes with different women and now you're a married dad."

"Another good point," Dennis conceded. "I guess we grew up."

"Only took us forty years."

They both laughed, but it quickly faded. Mac took a long drag of his cigarette then stubbed it out, despite the fact that it was only half finished, and flicked it into the surrounding foliage.

"You're happy with him?" Dennis asked quietly.

"Very," Mac answered. "And... in general."

Dennis nodded. "Good."

They were silent for a few more moments until Mac whispered, "Are _you_ happy, Dennis?"

It was a loaded question.

He was happy, in the abstract. He had a son he loved more than anything, an amazing wife who, for some godforsaken reason, put up with all his bullshit and still stuck by his side. He had a job, a house. They weren't rich but they weren't struggling either. That was the American Dream, wasn't it?

But it felt incomplete. There were pieces missing. His friends, for one, and his sister. Aside from a few coworkers he sort of liked, he hadn't made any friends of his own in North Dakota. He'd never admit it to Mandy, but most of her friends' husbands annoyed the shit out of him, and he didn’t like his new brother-in-law very much, either. It was getting increasingly difficult to pretend to care about inane, repetitive conversations surrounding football, golf, fishing and a local weather girl who gave Jackie Denardo a run for her money. The gang, exasperating as they were, understood him in a way no one else did, or even could, he thought. There was an ease to being around them he'd never felt with Mandy. Yet, anyway. He missed his city, too. He'd never liked it much before. It was dirty, crime-ridden and relentless. He and Dee had spent their adolescence dreaming of running away to New York or Los Angeles and never looking back. Now, almost two years gone, he'd realized he couldn't live anywhere other than goddamn Philadelphia.

He took a long look at Mac. "Yeah, man. I am."

"You sure?"

He wasn't, yet. "I'm sure."

Mac smiled. "Good. You gave up a lot to move out here and be with Brian. You deserve it."

"Thanks, Mac."

He opened his mouth to speak again, but the opening notes of [ Can't Fight This Feeling](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zpOULjyy-n8) floated out onto the balcony and Mac groaned again. "Speedwagon?"

"So sorry it's not Danzig," Dennis drawled.

"Don't you dare fucking insult Danzig in front of me," Mac said, puffing out his chest.

"Danzig has nothing on REO," Dennis said. "Cut the shit."

"I'll let it slide because it's your wedding," Mac said. "But from this point on, you respect him."

"Whatever," Dennis said, then sipped the beer he'd been neglecting in favor of the cigarettes he was already regretting. "Hey, Mac?"

"Yeah?" Mac replied, turning toward him.

Dennis looked the other man in the eyes. "I'm coming back."

Mac's jaw dropped slightly. "What?"

"To Philly," Dennis said. "We're moving next month. I was gonna wait and tell everyone tomorrow, but..."

"Wait, seriously?!" Mac looked like a kid in a candy shop.

"Yeah," Dennis said with a smile. "We got a two bedroom across the river. Artemis checked out a few places for us so I could keep it a secret. I think I'm gonna apply to Penn Vet next year."

"Dennis, that's awesome!" Mac said, slapping him on the shoulder.

"Yeah. It'll be a little weird to be the old guy if I can even get in, but like Mandy keeps saying, it's never too late."

"She's okay with just moving?" Mac asked. "Isn't, like, her whole life here?"

Dennis shrugged. "The daycare where she works is closing in three weeks and her mom is moving to Florida at the end of the year. Plus, you know Carolyn?"

"That cute blonde from the ceremony?" Mac asked.

"Yeah. Her and Mandy have been friends as long as we have, and she moved to Allentown about three months ago. Mandy's looking forward to being closer to her again. Plus, now that we're married and Brian will be starting preschool soon, it just seems like a good time for a fresh start."

"Are you gonna come work at Paddy's again?" Mac asked eagerly.

Dennis wanted to say yes more than almost anything. "I don't think so, dude. I'll come around, but I need to make actual money."

Mac's face fell. "Bummer."

"Yeah," Dennis agreed.

"Do you know where you're gonna work?"

"Not yet," he admitted. "We both have some interviews lined up, but it's kind of a leap of faith. It's so cheap out here that I've saved more money than I ever made in Philly."

"Well, either way, it's gonna be so great to have you back with us," Mac said. "We can have our monthly dinners in person and movie night and we can finally play Chardee MacDennis again..."

Dennis looked at Mac as he kept talking, going on animatedly about all the schemes they'd certainly get into once Dennis returned. The beer he'd just finished had his head swimming and it was getting harder to focus on their conversation. As much as it stung in a way he couldn't quite pinpoint to hear Mac talk about his feelings in the past tense, he could see already that Dee and Charlie were right. Mac was clearly in a good place and moving forward. It wouldn't be fair of Dennis to fuck that up, especially since he was hours into his new marriage.

* * *

" _It'll be great to be back with_ you _," Dennis said suddenly, cutting Mac off._

_"What?" Mac asked, his voice slightly dazed._

_"Back with you, Mac," Dennis repeated._

_That was all it took. While Kevin Cronin sang about not fighting feelings anymore, Mac took a step forward and their lips crashed together. He wrapped one strong arm around Dennis's waist and brought the other up to the back of his head, holding him tight. Dennis wound both arms around Mac's neck and sighed into their kiss._

_"You don't have to go through with this," Mac whispered fervently, pulling back from their kiss. "Like you said, it's never too late."_

_Dennis frowned. "Mac..."_

_"We're supposed to be together, Den. Neither of us are happy."_

_"I just said that I'm happy," Dennis said weakly._

_"But you're bored," Mac countered, and Dennis couldn't argue him. "I'm bored too. We were never bored together."_

_"No, we weren't," Dennis agreed._

_Mac leaned forward and kissed him again. Dennis nearly whimpered, tightening his arms around the other man's neck._

_"Come back to Philly alone, Dennis," Mac breathed. His sentiments were echoed by lyrics about bringing a ship into the shore and throwing away the oars. "Come back to me."_

_Dennis stared deep into Mac's wide, brown eyes, still filled with the same longing hope Dennis had seen there since the day they met._

* * *

"Earth to Dennis?" Mac asked with a short laugh.

"Huh?" Dennis said, snapping back to reality.

"You totally spaced out, bro."

"Oh, shit. Sorry," Dennis said, shaking his head. "Long day. Too much beer."

"It's all good," Mac said. "I was just saying, it'll be really great to have you back."

"Yeah," Dennis agreed, as the final notes of Can't Fight This Feeling faded into the night. "It'll be awesome."

As if on cue, the opening riff of [ The Boys Are Back in Town](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hQo1HIcSVtg) blared through the speakers.

"Dude!" Mac yelled. "Holy shit! Our song! We gotta find Charlie!"

Mac grabbed Dennis's hand and pulled him toward the reception hall door. Dennis smiled and allowed his friend to drag him back into the building. As they burst through the doors, they nearly smacked into Charlie.

“It’s our song!” he yelled as he handed each of them a beer. “I was just coming to get you guys!”

They made their way to the dance floor, beers in hand, singing and dancing as if their lives depended on it. As the chorus kicked in, Dennis realized he’d lost sight of Mac. He turned around to see Mac scooping Brian out of Dee’s lap from where she was sitting with Mandy and Justin. Mac hurried back over with Brian perched on his hip just in time for them to all sing the guitar riff.

“Listen, Brian,” Mac said during one of the verses as he began to sway back and forth with his de facto nephew. “Now that you’re one of the boys, you’ve gotta learn to love this song.”

“Oh, he knows this song,” Dennis said, reaching out to ruffle his son’s hair. “Don’t you, buddy?”

Brian nodded and reached out for Dennis, so Mac passed him off as the chorus broke out once more. As he danced with his son and his two best friends to a song that meant the world to all of them, Dennis felt a warmth settle over him. It was the most fun he’d had in ages. Too soon, the song ended, and Charlie walked Brian over to Frank. The familiar piano of [ Come Sail Away ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e5MAg_yWsq8) filled the room and Mandy put a hand on Dennis’s shoulder. He turned away from his friends and toward his wife, still smiling wide.

“Mind if I cut in?” she asked.

In lieu of answering, he wrapped an arm around her waist and joined their hands. She laughed as he swept her into a spin and he couldn’t help but laugh too.

“Jeez, that was a pretty intense singalong,” she said. “You fellas sure love that song, huh?”

“You have no idea,” Dennis said.

“Well, I’m glad all your friends were able to come,” she said as she laid her head against Dennis’s shoulder. “I know how much you miss them.”

“Me too,” he said, glancing around at the gang.

Frank sat at a table with Mandy’s mother, bouncing Brian on his knee. Mac and Justin moved in awkward, jilted circles, further proving that Justin was as bad a dancer as Mac. It made them a good match, Dennis supposed, and was much preferable to their earlier moves. Nearest to himself, Charlie twirled Dee under his up stretched hand and spun her back against his body with surprising grace, wrapping an arm around her waist and pulling her close. She smiled and slid her arm around his shoulders, then clasped their free hands together. He whispered something that made both of them laugh and she pressed their cheeks together as they began to move in sweeping arcs around the floor. Dennis frowned at the sight, wondering how two of the most uncoordinated people he knew could be the best dancers here, and confused as to why they were dancing together in the first place.

"Why the long face?" Mandy asked, looking up at him through her lashes. "It's not me, is it?"

Dennis smiled as he brought their joined hands to his lips then kissed the back of hers gently. "No, it's not you, babe. It's them."

She turned her head and followed his gaze to Dee and Charlie, still smiling and pressed close together.

Mandy laughed and turned back toward Dennis. "Oh, gosh, do those two look smitten."

"What the fuck are you talking about?"

"Look at 'em, silly!" Mandy laughed again. "Good thing Dee caught the bouquet."

"Dee elbowed your niece out of the way for the bouquet," Dennis said.

"Our niece," Mandy gently corrected, and Dennis smiled sheepishly. She continued, "Either way, I think it'll be nice for all of us to be paired off."

"Again, Mandy, what the _fuck_ are you talking about?"

"In Philadelphia!" she said. "Me and you, Charlie and Dee, Mac and that hot new man of his."

Dennis groaned. "Why does everyone keep saying he's hot? He's not that hot."

"You're much hotter, Dennis," Mandy assured him, and he couldn't resist the urge to plant a kiss on top of her head.

Dennis looked at the new duo again, then asked, "You really think they're a thing?"

"You'll have to ask Deandra," Mandy said with a coy smile.

"That goddamn bitch," Dennis mumbled.

"I wish you wouldn't call her that."

"If she's being a bitch, I'm gonna call her a bitch," he said matter-of-factly. "We've been over this."

"You still shouldn't call her that word," Mandy argued. "She's your sister."

Dennis smirked down at her. "What word?"

"You know what word."

"Say it, babe."

Mandy bit her lip, then looked around, as if she might get in trouble. "A bitch, Dennis. Don't call your sister a bitch."

He laughed, like he always did when he managed to work a swear word out of Mandy. "God, you're cute."

"Oh, hush," she said, laughing along with him. "You know I don't like to curse."

"You should," he said, then leaned down to whisper in her ear, "I think it's sexy."

"Do ya, now?" she asked with a small giggle.

"Totally."

"Well then," she started as Dennis straightened back up. "Maybe when we're livin' in that big city of yours, I'll curse up a damn storm."

He laughed once. “That’s my girl.”

She smiled wide and leaned up for a kiss. Dennis, of course, obliged. When they pulled back, her face had fallen a bit.

“We made the right choice, right?” she asked. “Gettin' married?”

Dennis was stunned, and it took him a few moments to ask, “What?"

“I know you had doubts, Dennis,” she said softly. “I did, too. But I’m so happy I married you.”

“Mandy…” he whispered, and ran the back of his hand across her cheek.

She paused, and then asked, “Are you happy you married me?”

He was interrupted by building drums before he could answer as the song kicked into its chorus and the crowd quickly switched from slow dancing. He grinned at Mandy and reached his hand up to spin her. She smiled as she twirled, then let go of Dennis’s hand as they continued to dance.

He thought about her question as he looked around the room. He saw his son beginning to doze off against Frank’s chest and made a mental note to get him ready to go home after this song. Mac had broken out his karate and Justin bopped around between his chops in a way that should have been embarrassing for both of them as they sang along at the top of their lungs. He'd never seen a bigger smile on his friend's face. Dee and Charlie were still pressed close as they danced circles around the other guests, and it wasn’t as annoying as it had been before.

He let his gaze settle on the beautiful woman in front of him. His _wife_. Her blue eyes sparkled under the dance floor lights and her hair swirled around her face as she danced. A wide smile split her rosy cheeks and Dennis couldn’t help but smile back at this incredible person who’d changed his life so drastically. There were times after he first moved where he’d laid awake at night in his shitty apartment, wishing that pill snorting desert whore hadn’t forced him off the plane, or that he hadn’t even agreed to that dumbass Boggs plan in the first place. But Mandy and Brian, he’d come to realize, had been nothing but good for him. He was a better person now, not as volatile and getting actual help instead of self-medicating with booze and drugs. He was someone's husband, someone's dad. He had responsibility. He had a purpose.

All at once, his new reality hit him. He was happy. Mac was happy. Charlie and Dee seemed to be happy. Frank was… well, Frank. Soon, they’d all be back together in Philly, up to their old shit, with a few new additions. His old life and his new life were finally coming together, and he couldn’t wait. It wasn’t what he’d ever expected, but somehow, it was what he’d always wanted.

Without warning, Dennis brought both hands up to Mandy’s face and kissed her. She gasped, then wrapped both arms around his neck and sighed, moulding her body to his. The rest of the crowd hollered and cheered as they kissed in the middle of the dance floor, lights flashing as the opening riff of [ Let’s Dance](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N4d7Wp9kKjA) took the place of Styx. He wrapped one hand around her thigh and dipped her, not breaking their kiss. He felt her smile pressed against his own and the crowd cheered louder.

As they broke apart and straightened back up, Dennis caught Mac’s eye. He’d known Mac long enough to immediately know the look on his face was one of genuine excitement. Mac gave an enthusiastic thumbs up as Justin wrapped an arm around his waist, then turned back toward his boyfriend and leaned up for a kiss of his own. Dennis smiled and looked back at his wife.

“I love you,” Dennis whispered as he wrapped both his arms around Mandy to keep her close, and he’d never meant it more.

“I love you, too,” she said with a laugh. “Got a little carried away there, huh?”

“Not really,” Dennis said. “I’m just… happy.”

“Yeah?”

He smiled. “Yeah.”

And, for what was probably the first time in his life, he truly was.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you thank you thank you for all the kind words as I wrote this fic! I was super nervous about posting it and the positive feedback has meant the world. I’d apologize for the sappy ending, but happy boys.
> 
> I’m kind of obsessed with Mandy, especially after binging [a show](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2378794/) that Christine Woods starred in because she’s so pretty it makes me want to die, so I might post a few more one-shots in this universe post-move to Philly. Or maybe more of life in North Dakota. We’ll see.
> 
> Until next time. ♥︎
> 
> (Completely unrelated footnote: Katie McElhenney's new book The Things They’ve Taken is fantastic and I implore any lovers of the supernatural to give it a read.)


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